Born with immortal seed

Chapter 657 The Whereabouts of the Demon Core

However, the questions surrounding the ancient tortoise are destined to remain unanswered.

The twelve-colored sword threads wreaked havoc within its body, and it was clear that the mountain-sized tortoise demon collapsed heavily.

The entire sword formation space trembled, and a long sigh echoed from the depths.

"Heaven and earth wept... Even without reaching the fifth rank, it can still elicit such a reaction. It truly deserves to be one of the strongest bloodlines that have ever appeared in the mortal realm."

There was no continuous phenomenon of heaven and earth mourning and mountains and rivers changing color after the fall of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

A single sigh of sorrow is already quite rare; I've never heard of any fourth-tier demon or human Nascent Soul cultivator being able to do that.

"When I perish, the River of Time will probably appear and sing my praises... Bah, I'm aiming for immortality, for the sun and moon to decay while I remain immortal. How could I possibly think about dying in the Nascent Soul stage?"

The idea was not auspicious, so Bai Zichen quickly shook his head and dismissed it.

A strand of hair fell down from her temple, dyed a dull white, standing out starkly against her black hair.

The ancient tortoise's life-sacrificing divine power, which traded its life for another's, was neutralized by the demon peach, but some aftershocks still remained on its body.

A quick calculation suggests that he lost approximately thirty-six months of his lifespan.

"Those who are good at swimming can drown. This serves as a reminder to myself that I must never underestimate the heroes of the world just because I have achieved some success in the path of time."

Bai Zichen carefully examined the patient and only felt relieved after confirming that there were no lasting effects.

"Fortunately, this giant tortoise's supernatural powers are limited. If it could take away thousands of years of my lifespan, I would have died on the spot. These two demonic peaches are just boasting. I wonder if they can withstand them."

If the ancient tortoise knew of this evaluation, it would vomit blood three liters more in the afterlife, for this was a bloodline power activated by burning three thousand years of its lifespan.

It's not that I'm unwilling to extend my lifespan further, but rather that the upper limit of this bloodline supernatural power has come to this.

Compared to the Life-Sacrificing Divine Power, Bai Zichen felt that the Azure Emperor's Longevity Sword, which could only cut off a hundred years of lifespan, was somewhat insufficient.

Of course, the former involves both parties burning their lifespans simultaneously, so if he really had to choose, he definitely wouldn't choose this mode.

If the Azure Emperor's Longevity Sword required sacrificing a hundred years of lifespan before each activation, and then cutting off the opponent's lifespan by two hundred years, Bai Zichen would not be able to use it frequently.

As he himself said, his time was more precious than anyone else's.

It was just a sudden thought. Once I make further progress in my own path of time, I can try to disassemble and study the Azure Emperor's Longevity Sword more deeply.

The founder of the Fish Dragon Sect could split the Azure Emperor Longevity Sword into three parts, greatly lowering the barrier to entry for cultivation.

Enhancing the power of the Sword of Time is more difficult, but not impossible.

After all, in terms of the Dao of Time alone, he is very likely the person with the deepest attainment since ancient times.

The remains of the ancient tortoise lay there quietly, while the sword flashed and quickly dismembered it into tens of thousands of pieces.

The most valuable item was undoubtedly the complete golden-scaled tortoise shell.

Since only two ancient longevity turtles have ever appeared in the history of the cultivation world, the specific function of their shells is unknown.

If used for refining artifacts, it's almost certain to become a top-grade spiritual treasure.

Bai Zichen tapped the tortoise shell with his finger, producing a hollow echo. The texture he touched was neither gold, jade, nor bone.

The tree rings are warm and slightly hot.

The understated golden scales, however, are icy cold, as if they came from the most distant abyss.

"I'll inquire with the Daode Sect later, see if their records contain any information about the Primordial Longevity Tortoise, or any other methods of its use..."

Top-grade spiritual treasures are considered heirlooms in 99% of sects.

Even a Nascent Soul sect would never have too many spiritual treasures.

Just by looking at how many Nascent Soul True Monarchs are still using top-grade magic weapons during the war between the two races, we can see that the existence of the Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Tribulation means that their quantity cannot be excessive.

Bai Zichen is an exception; he has five fifth-tier flying swords at his disposal, so why would he care about a mere spiritual treasure?

After the array of flying swords gathered, he lost interest even in fourth-tier flying swords; only fifth-tier swords could move him.

With a wave of his sleeve, the golden-scaled tortoise shell was moved to the cave, and the heavy object landed, creating a deep crater.

Hearing the commotion, Gun Gun and the Jade Rabbit, one bear and one fox, rode the wind to the front of the tortoise shell and carefully stroked it.

"What a terrifying aura! There's actually such a powerful turtle demon in the outer sea..."

The jade rabbit's eyes were glazed over, but it quickly came to its senses and tried to make amends under the rolling, fierce gaze.

"No matter how strong they are, they are still just defeated opponents of their master, not worth mentioning!"

Only then did Gun Gun turn around with satisfaction, huffing and puffing as it climbed onto the tortoise shell and patted around with its little paws.

At the center of the skull of the remains was a crystal-like demon core. Bai Zichen reached out and took it into his palm. There were specks of gold on it.

“Master, let me eat it… This thing is very nourishing for me and can make up for some of the defects I have acquired through my later modifications, bringing me closer to the Five Virtues Longevity Peach.”

The large, demonic peach, though clearly a peach, had a bloody crack, giving it the illusion of a tempting, devilishly delicious fruit.

Bai Zichen then remembered that the demon peach taken from the body of the Red-Eared Ancestor was a Twilight Peach created by the demon god of the Heavenly Demon Realm, using the Five Virtues Longevity Peach of the Earthly Immortal Realm as a template, at great cost.

Its original form grew from the pit of a Five Virtues Longevity Peach, but due to the deliberate cultivation by that demon god, it embarked on a completely different path.

But in essence, it should be as close as possible to the Five Virtues Longevity Peach.

If they can be perfectly matched, when reversed, they will naturally become the opposite of the spiritual roots of heaven and earth.

"What contribution could you make if you swallowed it?"

Bai Zichen flipped his wrist and put the Golden Star Crystal Demon Core into his cave.

This is the inner core of a peak fourth-tier demon, something countless alchemists and body-tempering cultivators dream of.

Using this as the main ingredient gives fourth-level alchemists the opportunity to challenge higher-level pill formulas and break through their cultivation level.

With such resources, a Body Tempering cultivator is practically guaranteed to advance to the fourth rank; it's like a meteoric rise.

Moreover, it comes from an ancient tortoise, making it even more precious.

"I... I can command the life-giving ghost to absorb the life essence, causing cultivators to lose their lives without even realizing it..."

As Huang Huntao spoke, his voice grew softer and softer. He realized that while this skill might be impressive to other cultivators, it was nothing more than showing off his limited abilities in front of his newly recognized master.

"If I were to become an innate spiritual root, I could shed my physical body and transform into a perfect human form... Of course, no matter how perfect it is, it would still pale in comparison to the immortal appearance of my master."

Yao Tao realized she had misspoke and couldn't help but add a sentence.

It was both a compliment and a concern that the master might covet the innate spiritual body, a calamity that every innate spiritual root could not avoid on their path to growth.

"And this plant-based body I left behind can be divided into pieces for consumption, exerting incredible effects... With each bite, the physical body, primordial spirit, and nascent soul all age by a hundred years, but one's own cultivation will also advance by a hundred years. Moreover, one can choose to use other supernatural abilities and secret techniques in addition to cultivation level."

"As long as one is not afraid of death, consuming several pieces of peach flesh in one go can instantly yield the results of hundreds of years of arduous cultivation. The closer one gets to dusk, the stronger one becomes!"

"Is this the Path of Twilight...?"

Bai Zichen was momentarily stunned. This was completely different from the Dao of Time, where lifespan was exchanged for strength.

I originally thought that it would be more cost-effective to have long-lived demon beasts consume it.

However, the Twilight Peaches can only be obtained at the user's normal cultivation speed. For demon beasts, it is very slow to improve their strength, so they are still not practical for the demon race.

On the contrary, those gifted geniuses who improve their cultivation as easily as drinking tea or eating are the most suitable to use it.

"Master wields the Great Dao of Time, which, as a superior Dao, can mitigate some of the influence of the Great Dao of Twilight. Ultimately, my aging period should only be sixty or seventy years, but the effect will be the same. I can swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao that I will not change my mind even if I achieve innate spiritual roots, and I will unconditionally offer up my shed Twilight Peach shell. But I hope that Master can also promise not to covet my innate spiritual body, otherwise I would rather destroy my own body."

The three-foot-tall blood-soaked figure crawled out of the twilight peach once more and spoke earnestly.

"If you become an innate spiritual root, what level of cultivator can your remaining body be effective against?"

Bai Zichen was silent for a moment before asking.

"Below the Refinement Void realm, the Twilight Dao will be effective... and I am confident that I can cultivate to the Nascent Soul realm within two hundred years, at which time I will be a great help to my master."

Although his facial features and expression were not clearly visible, one could sense that the three-foot-tall blood-soaked figure was somewhat uneasy.

"Let me think about it."

Bai Zichen did not make a decision immediately. He waved his hand and sent the Dusk Peach back to its old place, still imprisoning it with the Cave Heaven Chains.

If it is truly as the Peach of Dusk said, then its plant-like body will be of great use.

Once one reaches the Nascent Soul stage, one can cultivate to the Nascent Soul perfection stage at the fastest speed.

As for the lost lifespan, it can be replenished by collecting all the longevity-extending spiritual objects and elixirs in the cultivation world, which can be obtained in four or five hundred years.

Even if there are some shortcomings, they can be compensated by the lifespan limit after ascending to the Immortal Realm; these are all minor issues.

I'm afraid what the Dusk Peach said is untrue. It swallowed the demon core of the Primordial Longevity Turtle, but it's still a long way from becoming a Primordial Spiritual Root. It wasted a precious demon core.

As for refining the innate spiritual root into an external avatar, Bai Zichen had never actually entertained such a thought.

Firstly, he only had the Six Desires True Demon Bible from the Heavenly Demon Realm, which he could use to cultivate a true demon clone, and it conflicted with his own cultivation method.

Before finding a truly suitable cultivation method, there is no rush, and the pursuit of an incarnation is not so intense.

Cultivating a primary avatar is not easy. If it's not the most advanced technique, replacing the avatar in the future won't be so simple.

Secondly, external avatars are not limited to those created through innate spiritual roots; they can be created in various ways depending on the cultivation method.

Moreover, what the Peach of Immortality said at dusk was a mix of truth and falsehood, and should not be taken entirely at face value.

We'll have to see how things are arranged in the future.

I guess we'll have to turn to the Morality Sect again. I can't think of any other sect that has more complete records about innate spiritual roots.

Perhaps the Five Thunder Sect, which has a withered innate spiritual root, could do that; they could then communicate with the Great True Monarch of the Ninth Month.

"Huh, the old tortoise's spirit is gone. It doesn't make sense that it could have dissipated into the air in such a short time. My attack doesn't target the soul."

Bai Zichen wiped his eyes, and deep within his pupils, dragon wings swept across, alternating between yin and yang, scanning the remains of the ancient tortoise.

No matter what, you can't catch a glimpse of it.

Just as they were about to expand the search area, they discovered that the demon's flesh and blood were somewhat unusual, with many sword wounds still healing on their own.

The pupils grew into dragon eyes, magnified thousands of times within the flesh and blood, and their inner essence was reflected in the sea of ​​consciousness, allowing one to discover the difference.

In its final moments before death, the ancient tortoise voluntarily dispersed its spirit and merged it into its body.

Just like those cultivators who have pushed their physical training to the limit, they only seek the physical body and do not cultivate the primordial spirit.

"What a pity. I wanted to study the essence of the Primordial Longevity Turtle, the so-called Longevity Spirit Beast, and how it differs from other demonic beasts."

With a flick of the power of the cave, the remains of the ancient tortoise all entered the cave.

After these flesh and blood are integrated into the essence, their value increases even more, not only for body-tempering cultivators but also for replenishing the demonic essence of Gun Gun.

Even Bai Zichen couldn't resist cooking a few pieces to taste the flavor of the ancient exotic beast.

At the same time, let's see if consuming flesh and blood can help deepen our understanding of the Dao of Longevity.

After dispelling the sword formation, they discovered that about a hundred cultivators were taking turns guarding the area in the distance.

There was a burst of cheers when he appeared.

"Chen Ze of the Fish-Dragon Sect pays respects to Ancestor Bai."

Among the remaining cultivators, Chen Zexiu was the highest-ranking, so he led several Core Formation cultivators forward to greet them.

They deliberately used the more intimate title of "Ancestor" instead of the somewhat unfamiliar "Great True Lord".

After all, counting from the Chiming lineage, Bai Zichen is a legitimate disciple of the Yulong Sect, so calling him ancestor is perfectly justified.

"well done."

Bai Zichen recognized the man; he was much more mature and composed than he had been back in the Eastern Region.

"I have already killed the Primordial Longevity Turtle. Arrange for people to enter the Deep Sea with me."

In the vast ocean, it was pitch black and without light, and even divine sense could not spread more than ten miles away.

Using light spells or luminous treasures, even if they spread out a few feet, they will be swallowed by darkness.

If such a massive project were to be undertaken, and if the arrays of luminous pearls were to be used continuously, the manpower required would be unimaginable.

Only Core Formation cultivators can guarantee their personal safety and avoid being attacked and killed by suddenly appearing demonic beasts.

The light illuminated the way all the way to the depths of the Chongming Sea. It is estimated that the number of cultivators in the entire Eastern Region could not be gathered at present.

They could hear splashing and splashing sounds all around them. Upon closer inspection, they saw a group of turtle demons rushing towards the depths of the Chongming Sea.

“Ancestor, this visibility is unfavorable to us. I’m afraid the casualty figures for my disciples will be very bad.”

Chen Ze followed closely. In an unknown environment where one cannot see, even the most resilient cultivator cannot avoid self-doubt and collapse.

"No one has ever set foot inside the Chongming Sea. In the past, we have only relied on guesswork... At the very least, we need to mark the directions on the map so that future generations will not get lost."

For a moment, Bai Zichen really couldn't think of a good solution.

If he were alone, he could certainly move freely in and out of the vast sea.

But how could he possibly have the time and energy to stay in the Chongming Sea and accompany these people to slowly develop and utilize this sacred land of the demon race?

With this in mind, Bai Zichen let out a soft shout, took a wisp of aura from the sacred beast's blood essence with two fingers, and smeared it on his pupils.

Stimulated by the aura of the sacred beast, the Yin-Yang Eyes of the Candle Dragon underwent a dramatic change, and the two beams of light materialized, shining outwards for dozens of miles.

Like two beams of light, with the shadow of a dragon churning within them, illuminating a vast expanse.

Unlike other spiritual lights, these two beams of light were unique; the ink-like darkness slid away from them, leaving not a trace of ink on them.

Chen Ze and the others opened their mouths and subconsciously exclaimed "Wow!" and "Ah!" as they watched the beam of light pierce through the entire Chongming Sea.

(End of this chapter)