485: Chapter 501 Breakthrough to Nascent Soul?

Of course, the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord wouldn't be so foolish as to do such a thing with his true body.

That would only alert the enemy and affect his subsequent plans.

But just because he couldn't didn't mean others couldn't.

He thought of the Nascent Soul item he had obtained from Zhongli Yuan of the Yujing Dao Court; even then, he had already decided who would take the blame.

When the time came, with that person from the Yujing Dao Court attracting the attention of the Heavenly Dao, he could fish in troubled waters and take the opportunity to control Reincarnation. By the time the Heavenly Dao reacted, it would be too late.

The premise for all of this was that he could successfully Breakthrough to become a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

Only then would he have enough confidence to complete his scheme.

Thinking of this, the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord stepped toward the stone platform and raised his hand to take the xuan yin jade marrow.

Just as his fingers were about to touch the jade marrow, a sudden change occurred!

That cluster of eerie blue light suddenly exploded.

The jade marrow trembled violently, cracks appearing on its surface as eerie blue light gushed out from them, illuminating the entire stone chamber like the deep sea.

More and more cracks appeared, becoming denser as the skin of the jade marrow began to peel off, revealing what was inside.

It was actually a curled-up infant!

The infant was entirely eerie blue, its skin covered in fine lines like the veins of the jade marrow.

Its eyes were deep purple, with no whites, only two clusters of eerie light burning within.

Its hair was silver-white, like condensed moonlight, moving on its own without any wind.

Its fingers were slender and sharp, its nails shimmering with eerie light.

Most striking was the center of its brow, where a vertical line was faintly visible; a third eye was slowly opening, and though not yet fully formed, it already emitted heart-palpitating fluctuations.

The demon infant opened its eyes, those two clusters of eerie light staring straight at the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord.

It opened its mouth and let out a sharp screech.

It wasn't the cry of an ordinary infant, but a screech that struck directly at the Divine Soul, like nails scratching glass or the wails of ten thousand lost souls.

Wherever the sound waves passed, the Void Realm distorted, and the runes on the stone walls flickered uncertainly.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord was slightly stunned; he hadn't expected this xuan yin jade marrow to have actually gained sentience.

It wasn't a simple Awakening of spirituality, but a true transformation.

This thing already had its own consciousness and had become a "demon infant." Moreover, it wasn't a docile spiritual creature's transformation, but carried a fierce and violent aura, like a newly born demon seed.

The demon infant tilted its head and looked at him, its eyes full of curiosity and wariness.

Having just been born, its intelligence was immature; it didn't know if the person before it was friend or foe, but it instinctively sensed the dangerous aura coming from him.

That unfathomable sense of pressure made the runes all over its body tremble slightly.

But it didn't like this feeling.

The demon infant let out a low growl, and its figure suddenly vanished from the spot.

The next moment, it appeared at the other end of the stone chamber.

This was... Void Realm Displacement!

Born close to the Dao, the demon infant possessed a trace of the status of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, and naturally possessed the power of space.

Though it hadn't undergone Cultivation, it could use it as it pleased.

Its speed was incredibly fast, flickering like a ghost and leaving behind streaks of afterimages.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord stood where he was, his gaze following the demon infant's movements, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly: "Interesting."

The demon infant seemed to sense his contempt and let out an angry screech.

It stopped fleeing and turned into a streak of eerie light, crashing straight toward the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord.

Though its body was small, it contained terrifying power.

This collision was enough to smash a mountain peak to pieces!

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord raised his hand and struck out with a palm.

The demon infant was sent flying, crashing into the stone wall and smashing out a deep crater.

The runes on the stone wall flashed frantically, neutralizing the impact layer by layer, yet fine cracks still appeared on the surface.

The demon infant crawled out of the crater, shook its head, and let out an even angrier screech.

It was completely unharmed, and even the runes on its body hadn't dimmed in the slightest.

The demon infant's Physical Body was absurdly strong; that was the status of the Nascent Soul True Monarch level. Although it had no Divine Ability or Spell enhancements, it wasn't something a Golden Core Cultivator could easily injure.

It charged again, but this time it didn't crash directly; instead, it constantly displaced and flickered through the Void Realm, launching attacks from all directions.

Sometimes pouncing from above, sometimes crashing from behind, sometimes biting from the side.

Though its attack methods were simple, they were hard to guard against due to the eeriness of the spatial power.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord still didn't move.

He stood there, allowing the demon infant to attack.

But every impact was effortlessly neutralized by him.

His movements were calm and unhurried, even carrying a hint of indifference.

The demon infant grew more anxious and angry as the fight went on, its screeches becoming sharper and its attack frequency faster, yet it still couldn't touch even the corner of the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's clothes.

"That's enough."

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord suddenly spoke, having no intention of delaying any further.

He raised his hand and made a grasping motion in the air; an invisible force field enveloped the demon infant, pinning it in mid-air.

The demon infant struggled desperately, its screeches growing sharper, but it couldn't break free in the slightest.

It tried to use Void Realm Displacement, only to find that the space around it had been firmly locked down, making it impossible to tear open a rift.

It tried to use its body to crash through, but it couldn't even move a finger.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord withdrew his hand, and the demon infant was pulled into his palm.

He looked down at the infant struggling frantically in his hand, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

"demon infant, I want you to assist me in my Cultivation."

Then, ignoring its emotions, under the gaze of the demon infant's deep purple eyes full of grievance and resentment, he swept it into his sleeve and turned to leave.

Behind him, the light on the stone platform gradually dimmed.

The people trapped within the Restriction saw his figure walking out through the light wall, their expressions varied.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord ignored those gazes and walked straight in another direction.

That was the place he had chosen for his Breakthrough.

Although a Breakthrough was the same anywhere, he didn't have the habit of defecating in public; if he could avoid it, he would.

He walked through the corridor and found a place for secluded meditation in the deepest part of the stone chamber.

It was a small stone chamber with ancient runes carved on the four walls, emitting a faint eerie light.

In the center of the stone chamber was a stone platform with a Spirit Gathering Array pattern carved on it; though the pattern had become somewhat blurred after ten thousand years, it could still function.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord estimated that this was once a place for a member of the Asura Clan to enter seclusion for a Breakthrough; although it had been abandoned for a long time, the Foundation was still there.

He made no preparations—no breath regulation, no pill consumption, and no protective Formation.

He simply sat cross-legged on the stone platform, took out the demon infant from his sleeve, and placed it before him.

The demon infant floated in mid-air, its deep purple eyes glaring at him, filled with terror and resentment.

It struggled desperately but couldn't break free from the shackles; it opened its mouth to screech, the sharp sound waves echoing in the stone chamber but unable to travel out in the slightest.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord ignored its struggles.

He formed hand seals, and the aura around him began to rise.

It wasn't the aura of Golden Core Perfection, but an existence of a higher level.

Although this body's cultivation was suppressed at Golden Core Perfection, his comprehension of Laws and understanding of the Heavenly Dao were far beyond what a Golden Core Cultivator could compare to.

Now, he no longer suppressed it, allowing that power to pour out.

Boom—

A terrifying pressure spread out from the stone chamber, sweeping through the entire Core Secret Land.

That pressure was almost tangible, pressing down so hard that the Void Realm trembled slightly. The people trapped within the Restriction all changed expression simultaneously.

"This is... someone is breaking through to Nascent Soul?"

Yin Leici suddenly looked up toward the direction the pressure was coming from, his eyes full of disbelief.

"It's that Black-robed Man!"

Hua Nongying's voice carried a hint of alarm and suspicion.

"He got the xuan yin jade marrow?"

"So fast?" Xuan Zhenzi frowned. "How long has he been in there?"

Everyone fell silent; they were trapped here, unable even to break the Restriction, while that person had already obtained the xuan yin jade marrow and begun his Breakthrough to Nascent Soul.

This disparity left them with mixed emotions.

"Hmph!"

Yin Leici suddenly let out a cold snort. "Breaking through to Nascent Soul? What does he think breaking through to Nascent Soul is? Child's play?"

He stood with his hands behind his back, a mocking curve hanging on the corner of his mouth.

"This place is isolated by the Heavenly Dao; it's impossible to trigger a Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation.

Without the tempering of the Heavenly Tribulation, how can one shatter the core to form the soul? Doing this is nothing but a path to death."

Hearing this, everyone's expressions varied.

As Grotto-Heaven Disciples, they naturally understood the importance of the Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation.

It was the Heavenly Dao's test for a Cultivator, the necessary path to shatter the core and form the soul.

Without the Heavenly Tribulation, the Golden Core cannot be shattered, and the Nascent Soul cannot take shape; forcing a Breakthrough will only lead to Qi Deviation and the death of the Dao.

"Then does he not know, or is he doing it intentionally?"

Yue Qingyao asked softly.

"Who knows."

Yin Leici sneered. "Perhaps he's from a Loose Cultivator background and doesn't understand these things at all.

Or perhaps he's desperate and can only take a gamble. Regardless, he's seeking death."

In Yin Leici's view, the person was so urgent because his previous threats had worked, which was why he was in such a hurry to Breakthrough.

It must be to prevent being liquidated by a Nascent Soul True Monarch after going out.

And the consequence of such recklessness would inevitably be the death of the Dao.

Thinking of this, his tone couldn't help but carry a hint of pleasure.

Being trapped here was a great humiliation for him.

Now, seeing the person who trapped them about to seek his own death, he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Hua Nongying leaned against the light wall, her eyes flickering, unsure of what she was thinking.

Xuan Zhenzi stood with his arms crossed, his face solemn.

Yue Qingyao remained calm, but there was a hint of contemplation in her eyes.

Their purpose for this trip was the xuan yin jade marrow.

That item was extremely rare even within the Grotto-Heavens; they had traveled all this way just for it.

Now that someone else had beaten them to it, they were naturally unwilling.

But things had come to this, and they were helpless.

The Restriction wouldn't open, and they couldn't get out; they could only watch helplessly.

They could only hope that the other party would fail the Breakthrough.

That way, it would count as avenging their imprisonment.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

Just as everyone was lost in thought, a series of footsteps suddenly came from the end of the corridor.

Everyone's hearts tightened, and they immediately looked toward the sound, only to see a figure walking out of the corridor.

The person wore a green and white Daoist robe and had a handsome face; it was Lu Ming.

As soon as he stepped into this space, he felt an invisible force envelop him, and then he was pulled into the Restriction, trapped together with those Grotto-Heaven Disciples.

"Holy crap?"

Lu Ming looked around and was completely dumbfounded to see those Grotto-Heaven Disciples.

Why were all these people here? Why didn't they leave?

He looked around and only then noticed that the atmosphere was off.

These people all had solemn expressions, and when their gazes turned toward him, they didn't forget to use their peripheral vision to watch a certain direction.

He looked in that direction and saw that in a distant stone chamber, eerie blue light was soaring into the sky, and a terrifying pressure was constantly rising.

"This is... Nascent Soul? Someone is trying to break through their Realm!"

Who is it?

Lu Ming looked around and didn't see that familiar figure; his heart suddenly sank, and his expression turned somewhat ugly.

He had come a step too late after all.

That person had likely already obtained the xuan yin jade marrow and begun the Breakthrough.

However, Lu Ming soon calmed his mind; he gazed at the direction where the commotion was coming from, his eyes flickering slightly.

"Since I can't have it, then no one should have it, right, Soul-Devouring Demon Lord..."

Lu Ming looked toward the Void Realm, where the golden book was shining brightly.

As the pages turned, a new name appeared on the list.

[Feng Yuan (descent body of Qin Guan)]

At first, Lu Ming was somewhat confused by this change; this was the first time the golden book had displayed different text.

But he quickly realized what was going on.

Likely, this fellow named Feng Yuan had been replaced by someone using a method similar to Possession.

But perhaps the person's true soul hadn't been completely annihilated, leading to the continuation of Karma; that's why the display was unusual, and the golden book specifically marked it.

However, looking at the name behind it, Lu Ming was also muttering to himself.

"Qin Guan, Qin Guan, why does that sound so familiar..."

Lu Ming frowned, then as if thinking of something, his eyes suddenly widened.

"Wait! This Qin Guan, could it be *that* Qin Guan!"

Lu Ming searched his memory and suddenly remembered a person who was particularly prominent in Bone Underworld's memory.

That person was Bone Underworld's nominal Revered Master, the Nascent Soul True Monarch of the Soul Devouring Demonic Sect, the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord!

And the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's original name seemed to be... Qin Guan!

When Lu Ming realized this point, he felt like his whole world was falling apart.

He hadn't even resolved the issue with Taishu Yichen yet, and now he was being targeted by a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

Moreover, this was the ruler of the Soul Devouring Demonic Sect in the Inner Domain, the demonic sect leader, the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord, whose cultivation had already reached the level of a Late Stage Nascent Soul Great True Lord!

In comparison, Taishu Yichen of the Qingwei Dao Sect seemed somewhat gentle and kind.

Lu Ming reckoned he would rather face Taishu Yichen than directly confront the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord.

After killing Bone Underworld, Lu Ming had specifically looked through the other's memory to confirm if he would be targeted by the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord.

He then learned that the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord hadn't left any tracking methods like Divine Soul remnants on Bone Underworld, and plus the golden book hadn't changed for a while.

At that time, Lu Ming breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had escaped a disaster, and felt very fortunate that he hadn't been held in a grudge by the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord.

But he didn't expect that the Heavenly Dao's Reincarnation is fair, and heaven spares no one.

He hadn't escaped this disaster after all.

But what Lu Ming couldn't figure out was, how exactly was he exposed?

It couldn't be that the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's reaction was slow, or that the Secret Realm isolated the inner and outer worlds, causing a delay on the other side.

Since those were unlikely, the only thing that could have caused the other party to harbor malice toward him was the Black-robed Man he had defeated not long ago.

And once he figured this out, many things could be connected.

Especially when Lu Ming thought of the other party's unfathomable strength and Law attainment.

He had a faint premonition in his heart that this person was likely the descent body of that Soul-Devouring Demon Lord.

Only such an existence could possibly possess such strength.