507: Chapter 517 Human Skin Thangka, Want to Roar!

True Monarch Taixuan Huangshi looked calm and spoke gently, but his words carried a bone-chilling coldness.

Clearly, he wasn't as calm as he appeared on the surface.

Not just him; the other True Lord phantoms also lacked any hint of a smile.

No one was happy about the emergence of a new peer.

For a Nascent Soul True Monarch sat at the top of the Profound Spirit Domain's food chain, representing a shift from a servant who served tea to a diner who could sit at the table.

It wasn't that they didn't want anyone to achieve a Breakthrough to Nascent Soul True Monarch, but it depended on who it was and if there was any benefit for them.

But this aura didn't belong to any of their lineages—at least, it wasn't someone from their own sects!

This meant another newcomer had squeezed onto a table where the stakes were already spread too thin.

As the Heavenly Dao's suppression grew stronger and resources became scarcer, no one could be happy about another person joining the feast.

True Monarch Zixiao frowned, his lips twitching as if he wanted to ask something, but in the end, he said nothing.

Among the major Grotto-Heavens, his Zixiao Grotto-Heaven and the Hunyuan Demon Cave were the weakest.

Seeing Qingwei Heaven suffer a heavy blow this time, he was actually quite gloating in his heart.

After all, this way, his Zixiao Grotto-Heaven could rise with the momentum and no longer be the perennial underdog.

Moreover, if he could annex Qingwei Heaven, he might even have a chance to surpass the Yujing Dao Court.

As for the Taixuan Immortal Sect, he hadn't even considered it.

Three True Lords in one sect was no joke.

But before he could take action, this sudden Nascent Soul True Monarch caught him off guard.

Although he didn't know which house had hidden such a deep card, it certainly wasn't his.

He scanned the others, seemingly trying to discern some details from their expressions to deduce the background of the newly ascended Nascent Soul.

However, after looking around, except for the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord, whose face was somewhat grim, the others were all indifferent. Their emotions were unreadable.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord stared at the dissipating pillar of light, his face terrifyingly dark.

A figure had been reflected in that pillar just now; though the face had flashed by in an instant, he would recognize it even if it were turned to ash.

It was that damned variable!

But the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord couldn't understand: how had this person broken through?

One must know that the greatest Opportunity in the Xuanling Secret Realm, the xuan yin jade marrow, had already been refined by him.

Logically, the path to advancement for the Cultivators entering the Secret Realm this time had been cut off, yet this person had broken through against all odds, which he found inconceivable.

"Could it be..."

A guess flashed through the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's mind.

He had just failed his tribulation in the Secret Realm, and immediately after, someone else succeeded. No matter how he looked at it, something was wrong.

Therefore, it was highly likely that after his descent body failed its Breakthrough, it had turned into a Dao Abomination.

Then, by some stroke of luck, an unknown mutation occurred, evolving into a new spiritual item, which was eventually obtained by this person!

This wasn't a groundless guess; the Cultivation World was full of wonders and anything could happen.

Besides, the transformation of a Dao Abomination into a spiritual item wasn't unheard of, but the probability was so low that he hadn't given it any importance.

Otherwise, before his descent body perished, he would have certainly chosen self-destruction to give those lower Cultivators no chance at a Breakthrough.

Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets.

At the thought of someone using the things he left behind to break through where he had failed, the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord felt a wave of disgust, as if he had eaten feces.

But he couldn't say it out loud!

After all, he had sneaked into the Secret Realm secretly; if these guys found out, with their calculating natures, they would surely connect the dots.

At that time, it might even cause unexpected changes to his plans.

So now, no matter how upset the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord was, he had to swallow his anger.

Wait? No, it seemed there was no need to swallow it!

The others didn't know this person's identity, but didn't he?

These guys were probably still guessing which lineage's Disciple it was.

In that case...

"Everyone, which lineage's Prodigy has broken through to True Lord? Won't you introduce them?"

As the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord spoke, everyone turned their gaze toward him, but after a moment, no one spoke.

"Still not admitting it?" the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord said in a deep voice, putting on a dissatisfied expression.

"Since they've reached the Nascent Soul stage, the matter is settled. What's the point of hiding it? We'll have to deal with each other eventually, so we might as well be open and honest."

These words made sense, and no one could find fault with them, yet still, no one spoke.

Because they simply didn't know who this person was.

"Could it be that this person isn't from any of our lineages?"

"Or rather, is this person... a Loose Cultivator?"

Seeing that the groundwork was laid, the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord finally revealed his true intentions.

If he had said the person was a Loose Cultivator from the start, it would have been too suspicious.

By guiding them indirectly, with these guys' brains, they would soon realize something was amiss.

And indeed, when the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord mentioned "Loose Cultivator," the expressions of the others changed sharply.

Yes, if it were truly a successor of their own lineage, even if they didn't flaunt it, there was no reason to hide it.

Unless someone could conceal the Breakthrough phenomena, hiding a trump card wouldn't be impossible.

But since the phenomena were known to the whole world, what was the point of hiding?

So, this person really might be a Loose Cultivator.

"Pfft... Hahaha! What a bunch of useless trash. After all that fighting, a Loose Cultivator ended up taking the prize."

True Monarch Zixiao was the first who couldn't hold it in; he truly lost his composure.

To think that the most outstanding Disciples of all the Grotto-Heavens were gathered inside, and in the end, a Loose Cultivator took the top spot—it was the joke of the century!

The others felt a bit displeased hearing True Monarch Zixiao's words, as their subordinates or juniors were being insulted, but they said nothing in the end.

After all, this guy had even insulted his own Disciples; what else could they say!

However, curiosity also rose in their hearts.

How could a Loose Cultivator break through the encirclement of so many Prodigies and seize the final Opportunity?

It couldn't just be luck! There must be a great secret on him!

"I say, why think so much? Just test him and we'll know!"

At this moment, the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord spoke again, his tone carrying a hint of temptation.

"Hmph, easy for you to say. Why don't you go test him!"

True Monarch Zixiao curled his lip in disdain.

A True Lord's Origin was extremely precious; who would waste it to test a Nascent Soul True Monarch for no reason?

And even if they were willing, wouldn't that just be offending someone?

Although they didn't believe in their hearts that this new Nascent Soul was worthy of being compared to them.

But a Nascent Soul was a Nascent Soul; offending a peer for no reason was an unwise move.

"Hehe..."

Seemingly seeing through their thoughts, the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord sneered.

However, he didn't give up on his intention to cause trouble for this person.

So he turned to Taishu Yichen and said with a smile.

"I actually think Fellow Daoist True Lord Qingxu is quite suitable for this task."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone shifted their gaze to Taishu Yichen, immediately putting him under immense pressure.

"Qin Guan, what do you mean by this!"

Taishu Yichen was shocked and angry, glaring at the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord.

"Exactly what I said." Facing the angry Taishu Yichen, the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord wasn't embarrassed at all.

"This person just broke through to Nascent Soul, and something happened on your end. To say there's absolutely no connection, this seat doesn't believe it for a second."

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord wasn't lying about this.

He remembered that when his descent body was breaking through, it also suddenly suffered a mysterious backlash. Although it looked different from Taishu Yichen's omen of being forsaken by heaven, he felt there must be a connection!

So, making True Lord Qingxu test this person was both to vent his own anger and to probe the person's background.

Seeing that Taishu Yichen was still hesitating, he added another sentence.

"And if this new Fellow Daoist wants to evade the Heavenly Dao, he will inevitably have to create his own Grotto-Heaven. But what could be easier than seizing one?"

"Think about your current situation, True Lord Qingxu."

These words were like a great bell, striking directly at Taishu Yichen's Divine Soul.

Yes, Qingwei Heaven was now half-ruined, and his own strength was heavily depleted, he had even dropped in Realm.

If someone wanted to pick a soft persimmon to squeeze, who among those present was more suitable than him?

The answer was: no one!

At this thought, a sense of wariness toward this new Nascent Soul suddenly rose in his heart, along with a deeply hidden killing intent.

Although he knew this was the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's scheme, the other party's words were not without merit.

However, he was still hesitant because he himself had been severely injured due to the events at Qingwei Heaven.

If he had to use his Nascent Soul Origin to test the newcomer now, it would surely result in even more loss.

At that time, he would have even less confidence when facing these guys.

So, he looked toward the True Lords of the Taixuan Immortal Sect, Zixiao Grotto-Heaven, and Yujing Dao Court, attempting to seek some help.

After all, he was at least part of the Righteous Path; although they usually had their petty squabbles, they should stand together in the face of major issues.

Now that the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord was stirring up trouble, these people couldn't fail to see it.

If they were willing to act together, they could not only dampen the spirit of this new Nascent Soul but perhaps even have a chance to kill him directly.

Even if they couldn't, it would be better than him bearing the cost of the Origin alone.

However, this time, he did not receive any help from them.

They all remained silent, or their gazes wandered; in any case, they simply wouldn't look at him.

Instantly, Taishu Yichen's heart turned cold.

Seeing his current miserable state, they felt he was no longer worthy of their circle and were isolating him?

These guys were too pragmatic!

But Taishu Yichen couldn't criticize them; after all, helping him was a favor, while not helping was their right.

Moreover, he could choose not to test the newcomer, but he would then have to bear the risk of someone usurping his place.

No matter how he chose, none of the outcomes were favorable to him.

At this moment, the "kind-hearted" Soul-Devouring Demon Lord spoke again.

"Fellow Daoist, I know what you're worried about. How about this: I have a Nascent Soul Spirit Treasure here that can shield the Heavenly Dao's perception for a short time!"

As he spoke, he took out an object.

It was a dark yellow scroll about a foot long, with two bone-jade rods that emitted a black light.

After being released by the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord, it floated in the Void Realm and slowly unfurled, revealing a base color of aged grayish-brown and dark ochre.

The scroll undulated like a jellyfish as it opened, feeling like a living thing breathing.

Under the light, a black oily sheen seeped from it, looking both eerie and mysterious.

"This is the 'painted skin holy robe,' a fourth-rank Nascent Soul Spirit Treasure. Once activated, you can act freely for the duration of one incense stick without worrying about the Heavenly Dao's interference!"

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord stroked this Human Skin Thangka as he patiently introduced it to Taishu Yichen.

"To think there's such a good thing!"

When the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord finished introducing the item's function, not only was Taishu Yichen shocked, but the other True Lords also showed strange expressions.

They didn't expect the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord to have such a treasure.

With this thing, at least for the duration of one incense stick, one could go all out without worrying about the depletion of their True Lord Origin.

For these people who had been suppressed for too long, the attraction of this item was simply too great, and they couldn't help but feel a sense of desire for it.

However, this item belonged to the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord, after all; setting aside that he was a Nascent Soul Late Stage Great True Lord, the fact that he possessed such a treasure made them incredibly wary.

Who could be sure of resisting a Nascent Soul Late Stage Great True Lord going all out, besides True Monarch Taixuan Huangshi?

So they could only suppress their little thoughts and didn't dare to take action.

At this moment, they actually felt envious of Taishu Yichen?

They thought this was a case of being forced into a difficult position, and even if True Lord Qingxu won in the end, his Origin would be severely damaged, and his Realm might even drop further.

But they didn't expect this "painted skin holy robe" to appear, allowing True Lord Qingxu to show off a bit.

Truly, the world is unpredictable; blessings and misfortunes are intertwined.

"Thank you for lending me the treasure, Fellow Daoist. I, True Lord Qingxu, will remember this kindness!"

The most excited was naturally Taishu Yichen; he hurried forward to take the "painted skin holy robe," bowed to the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord in thanks, and then stroked it as if he couldn't bear to put it down.

The item felt cold to the touch, giving him the sensation of stroking human skin.

Well, he wasn't mistaken; it was indeed a thangka made from human skin, and upon close inspection, one could even see the pores on it.

But Taishu Yichen didn't care about such trifles.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord was a leader of the Demonic Path; wasn't it normal for the things he brought out to be sinister?

If it were too normal, he would actually have some concerns.

Besides, even though the man walked the Demonic Path and the souls of the wronged who died by his hand numbered in the hundreds of millions...

Compared to the people from the Taixuan Immortal Sect who kicked a man when he was down and treated others based on their status, Taishu Yichen felt the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord was practically benevolent!

Sigh, it was his own stereotype before; he had wronged the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord.

Taishu Yichen muttered to himself, but quickly pulled his thoughts back.

Since he had this "painted skin holy robe," he no longer had any worries. In that case, it was time to teach the newcomer some rules.

As for being unable to win?

What a joke; Taishu Yichen hadn't even considered it.

Just a newly ascended Nascent Soul with limited means; they probably didn't even know many Divine Abilities yet.

And this was the best time for the strong to bully the weak.

If he waited for this person to go into seclusion to consolidate their cultivation and comprehend a few Nascent Soul Divine Abilities, then facing them would be a real problem.

Moreover, the other party probably didn't even know about the Heavenly Dao's suppression yet.

At the thought of the other party using their Nascent Soul power on a large scale, only to find that what they were consuming was their own True Lord Origin, Taishu Yichen wanted to laugh.