136: The difference between humans and demons in seclusion and enlightenment

Inside the secret room, Gao De's massive Purple Lightning Flood Dragon true form lay coiled like a sleeping mountain range.

Surging blood and Qi, like subterranean lava, coursed beneath his tough scales. Every breath drew in the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within a hundred-zhang radius. The free-floating ions in the air were stirred, giving rise to countless fine purple electrical sparks that flickered intermittently, illuminating the dark secret room as if it were the depths of a thundercloud.

Within his Dantian Qi Sea, the embryonic forms of his two natal demonic artifacts, the purple scale earth-shaking armor and the thunder fang formation-breaking halberd, rose and fell slightly with the rhythm of his long, deep breaths, as if they had gained life.

Pure Demonic Power and majestic blood and Qi flowed into the artifact embryos in a continuous cycle, completing round after round of tempering and circulation. This made the artifact embryos increasingly solid and spiritually vibrant, while the power fed back was even more refined, nourishing Gao De's flood dragon body and Divine Soul.

In such a deep state of cultivation, Gao De's mind was not completely silent.

Besides polishing his Demonic Power and comprehending Divine Abilities, he focused more of his energy on contemplating his own path and how to effectively enhance his strength.

The Lesser Turtle Breath Form Mimicry Art, a Cultivation Technique obtained through an exchange with a Yao King at the Yunze Water Assembly, was being repeatedly deduced in his mind.

The essence of this technique was to allow a Yao Beast to simulate a human form, borrowing the "subtlety" of the human body to better Cultivate the "power" of the Yao Race. Its core lay in strengthening the main body and improving the precision of one's control over their own power. The so-called "Transformation" was more of an auxiliary cultivation method and a means for easier movement, rather than a pursuit of completely changing one's race.

"However, the human body is revered as the 'Dao Body,' and that is certainly no coincidence."

Though Gao De's massive dragon eyes were closed, his mind was exceptionally clear. "In ancient times, great experts emerged from the Human Race in succession. Their cultivation speed and comprehension of the Laws of Heaven and Earth often far exceeded Yao of the same rank. Within this human body, there must be hidden mysteries that better align with the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth."

Previously, when he performed the Lesser Turtle Breath Form Mimicry Art, he mostly transformed into a Half-Jiaoren form, retaining prominent features like the dragon head, sharp claws, and scaled tail. This was mainly due to the limitations of the technique, though it did facilitate movement on both land and water and the execution of certain Divine Abilities.

But now, he had deeper thoughts.

"A truly perfect method of Transformation should not be limited to a fixed half-human, half-yao state. It should be capable of myriad changes as needed. To deeply understand the wonders of the human body and even draw upon the essence of the Human Race's cultivation System, one must first truly 'become' human, even if only temporarily or on the surface."

But this "human" was not a simple change of skin. Gao De knew well that if he did not understand the "spirit" and only possessed the "form," it would be like a tree without roots. He might even fail to achieve his goal and instead hinder his own cultivation.

This technique helped him transform, allowing him to act in the body of a Half-Jiaoren, which was indeed quite convenient. However, as his strength increased—especially after seeing truly high-level existences—he felt that his control over his own power still needed to be refined further.

And a more exquisite Transformation was undoubtedly a key link in improving physical control.

"The Half-Jiaoren form produced by the Lesser Turtle Breath Form Mimicry Art balances human and Yao characteristics, allowing the use of Magic Treasures and certain delicate Spells. However, it is ultimately not a perfect human form. Many Divine Abilities, Formations, and even the essence of certain Human Race Body Refining techniques that require a pure human body to be effective are difficult to learn and reference."

A form that was neither Yao nor human actually restricted the display of his strength, which was not how it should be. This, in turn, proved the imperfection of this technique.

Though his massive dragon eyes were closed, his mind was performing high-speed deductions.

A clear realization surfaced in his heart: the Yao Race rarely had specialized Body Refining techniques.

The reason was simple: the Yao Race was born powerful!

Bloodline was the most precious Legacy; it contained not only Innate Divine Abilities but also the natural trajectory of physical strengthening.

During daily cultivation, Demonic Power and blood and Qi naturally nourish and temper the body. As one's Realm rises, the strength of the Physical Body increases accordingly—scales become harder, sinews and bones tougher, and strength more immense.

This strengthening, derived from the Origin of life, made Yao of the same rank far stronger than Human Cultivators of the same rank in terms of the Physical Body alone.

Ordinary human Body Refiners, even if they spent painstaking effort to temper their bodies, often found it difficult to match the natural physique of a Yao of the same rank.

"This is not due to Yao arrogance or laziness, but a result of talent and path dependency. When one possesses sharp claws and teeth, why bother painstakingly polishing stones?" Gao De understood this point.

The cultivation System of the Yao Race focused more on excavating Bloodline potential, raising the Realm of Demonic Power, and Awakening natal Divine Abilities. Physical strengthening was almost an "incidental byproduct" of the cultivation process, yet it was already astonishing enough.

However, Gao De also clearly saw the other side.

"But it is different for the Human Race." He recalled those records. "When they are born, their bodies are practically frail, far inferior to Yao cubs. Because of this, they had to find another way, developing an intricate and complex network of Meridians internally to serve as high-speed channels and amplifiers for energy. They researched various Body Refining techniques to systematically temper their sinews, bones, organs, and skin—even using lightning or fire to temper themselves. Through various arduous Acquired methods, they compensate for their Innate deficiencies, pursuing the path of Sanctifying the Physical Body."

"These are two completely different paths. The Yao Race 'excavates' the Innate, while the Human Race 'shapes' the Acquired."

He recalled the various Human Cultivators he had seen and the sketchy records of human Meridians and Acupoints in the Jade Slips left by the Yunhe Sect, comparing them with his own Yao body.

"To make Transformation more perfect, one must first distinguish the fundamental differences between human and Yao bodies. This is not about talking about essence in a vacuum, but investigating the differences in physical structure and energy operation!"

He recalled the various Human Cultivators he had seen and the sketchy records of human Meridians and Acupoints in the Jade Slips left by the Yunhe Sect, comparing them with his own Yao body.

"What exactly is the essence of a human?"

"Meridians and Acupoints? Human cultivation seems to rely heavily on these, guiding Qi to run along specific routes to condense a Golden Core or Nascent Soul.

In contrast, my Yao Race focuses more on tempering the Bloodline and strengthening the Physical Body. Demonic Power permeates the flesh and bones; although there are operational routes, they are far less subtle and complex than the human System."

"Divine Soul structure? Humans seem to be born with agile souls, good at perceiving, deducing, and learning, creating complex paths of Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Talisman Formations.

While for my Yao Race, the Divine Soul is mostly bound to the Bloodline, relying more on Innate Divine Abilities and instinctive combat. Although there are wise ones, in terms of pioneering delicate crafts, they are generally inferior to the Human Race."

"The human body appears frail, but it contains its own universe. The core of its power lies in a System of 'Meridians and Acupoints' that is refined and complex to the extreme.

Within this System, Qi follows specific routes in a Cosmic Orbit, like rivers flowing across the land in an orderly fashion. It can burst forth with extremely high efficiency and is particularly good at fine-tuning energy control, giving them unique advantages in Alchemy, Talisman-making, and setting up Formations.

Their Body Refining methods also mostly revolve around opening, nourishing, and strengthening these Meridians and Acupoints, allowing the Physical Body to gradually transform until it is comparable to divine metal."

"On the other hand, for my Yao Race—especially those with powerful Bloodlines like mine—the root of power is deeply planted in the 'Bloodline' and 'Physical Body' itself. Demonic Power permeates the limbs, bones, and internal organs. When it moves, it is more majestic and vast, like a crashing wave. Its strength lies in using force to break through techniques; the Physical Body is the most powerful weapon.

But the fine control of power, especially detailed control after it leaves the body, is often inferior to that of humans of the same rank. The most notable examples are a Sword Cultivator's Sword Light Differentiation and Sword Qi into Silk, which are extremely difficult for the Yao Race to achieve."

"If I want to transform into a human more perfectly, and even be able to seamlessly practice some human Body Refining secret techniques in the future to enhance my control over my Yao body, I cannot just change the surface. I must also simulate and construct a Meridian network similar to that of a human internally!

Even if it is just a preliminary, simplified version adapted to my Demonic Power, it can still serve as a 'lever' and 'channel' for more subtle power control!"

With his thoughts clear, Gao De no longer hesitated.

He possessed the powerful vitality and recovery ability brought by his Dragon Clan Bloodline, giving him the foundation to conduct this dangerous experiment.

At the same time, he began to flip through the Jade Slip fragments involving human Body Refining methods that he had obtained from the Yunhe Sect and Green Wave Sect.

Although most were not of high grade or were incompatible with his Yao body, the concepts within—such as how to guide energy to temper specific parts and how to break through bottlenecks—gave him a lot of inspiration.

Inside the secluded room, Gao De's massive dragon body still emitted a heart-palpitating pressure.

But deep within that Sea of Consciousness surrounded by Purple Lightning, a phantom constructed by Divine Thought that infinitely approached a perfect human form was constantly being adjusted and optimized.

Inside the phantom, light bands simulating the primary Meridians of the Human Race were carefully constructed, and he began to attempt to interface and circulate them with his own majestic Demonic Power.

This process was extremely tedious and full of risks. If the simulated Meridian network became slightly unstable, it would trigger a "collapse" within the Divine Thought phantom.

But Gao De was extremely patient. Every failure gave him a deeper understanding of the compatibility between Demonic Power and human Meridians.

"I do not seek to reach heaven in a single step; I only need to find that 'path' that can more exquisitely guide and utilize my Demonic Power," Gao De thought with certainty.

His purpose in improving the Lesser Turtle Breath Form Mimicry Art was very clear—not to become a true human, but to borrow the advantages of the "Dao Body" to forge a more powerful "Yao" that could perfectly control its own strength!

Once successful, his Transformation would no longer be limited to a Half-Jiaoren; he might truly be able to briefly transform into a perfect human body in the true sense. Not only could he better blend into Human Race territories, but he could also use this form to practice the essence of certain human Body Refining secret techniques, feeding back into his flood dragon body and taking his physical strength and power control to the next level!

This was undoubtedly a difficult but high-potential path—a unique auxiliary cultivation method that Gao De had carved out by combining his own advantages and needs.