Chapter 216: Yin Cultivation of the Form: Nuclear Demonic Energy

Only after half an hour did Louis emerge from that endless confusion.

His gaze was complex: “Heaven’s wrath?”

“Terrifying indeed.”

He could not describe the feeling at all—supreme, vast, ultimate.

That was the highest reverence ancient people held for Heaven!

Louis knew the cultivation difficulty of this technique might be the highest among all he had learned so far, but he had to learn it—it concerned whether he could reach the Primordial Spirit realm quickly.

Moreover, the entry level of this technique was manageable, not difficult, only growing harder the further one progressed, with ever-increasing demands on the mind; he did not know how far his current realm would allow him to advance.

“Regardless, first master the entry, then test it on a demon—the opportunity is right before me; how can I not try?”

After carefully recalling the majestic aura of Heaven’s wrath, Louis finally calmed his mind and turned to the third technique—the other major highlight.

Yin Cultivation of the Form.

This was a Taoist term.

This technique actually had two variants: one was the traditional Taoist method developed by Ge Hong when ascending to immortality became impossible, creating the Corpse Liberation Immortal; later generations built upon earlier achievements and refined it further, until high masters of various Taoist sects jointly created the supreme Corpse Liberation method.

It resembled a zombie: this method allowed the dead or wounded to refine their forms underground, with claws and hair continuing to grow, the corpse remaining lifelike, and the burial duration determined by the severity of injuries, after which the individual would revive.

And it greatly enhanced the revived person’s cultivation base.

But it was not infinite resurrection—each resurrection was a gamble, largely dependent on the user’s accumulated life potential.

After this cycle repeated nine times, one could achieve Corpse Liberation and become an immortal—and unlike the Corpse Liberation Method: Ascension to Immortality Louis had previously obtained.

That Corpse Liberation method was ordinary, producing weak immortals with numerous hidden dangers and an uncertain future.

The strength of the immortal achieved through this method depended entirely on the number of deaths the user endured; if one had sufficient potential and survived nine deaths, upon finally emerging from the earth, one could rival Earth Immortals or Celestial Immortals, far surpassing Ghost Immortals or Human Immortals.

“Powerful—combines self-healing, resurrection, and strength gain in one, multiple benefits at once; as long as enough life potential is accumulated, one can resurrect all the way to immortality.”

Of course, it was not that simple—accumulating life potential was extremely difficult; most people, even those who reached Pure Yin realm, barely had enough for one resurrection.

Otherwise, those Taoists who created this method would have all become immortals long ago.

There would not have been a complete absence of immortals after the Ming Dynasty.

This was the Corpse Liberation version of Yin Cultivation of the Form; there was also a cultivation method or great divine technique version of Yin Cultivation of the Form.

That belonged to myth and legend, tied to the Yin Star Lord of mythology, who was an existence beyond Celestial Immortals.

It was beyond the reach of ordinary people; Louis did not expect such a level of inheritance to exist in the People’s Canon.

The Corpse Liberation version of Yin Cultivation of the Form was already more than enough for him.

“Seduction Art, Devil Refinement, Yin Cultivation of the Form—prioritize Yin Cultivation of the Form, then Devil Refinement, leave Seduction Art for last until materials are ready.”

As for the incidental Loss of Wealth Art, even today Louis had only glanced at it twice and nearly mastered it.

He could use it later on rival asset families or political enemies.

Having settled his cultivation order in mind,

Louis began to carefully ponder Yin Cultivation of the Form.

……

Sunlight.

A gentle breeze.

And beautiful scenery.

Louis drove his sports car at high speed, scenery everywhere.

He had come out for more than just capturing a demon.

The three at university were still waiting for him; they hadn’t seen each other in over two years, and he missed them—especially Mary.

Also, he had never personally visited the Eater Corporation, which had been established for so long; it was inappropriate to neglect it, so Louis was now heading north.

As for why he drove instead of flying—

Naturally, he wanted to wander outside.

Cooped up in a secret room for over two years, though he occasionally stepped out, he still felt stifled; now, a little wind, some scenery, a bit of relaxation was fine.

The sports car kicked up wind and dust over the scorching ground; the wind chased after, but the car was already far away.

Gazing at the boundless sky and desert, Louis couldn’t help shouting aloud.

Gazing at the endless sky and desert, Louis couldn't help shouting aloud.

The sound wave shook the heavens.

The clouds in the sky slightly parted.

“Hahaha!”

After shouting out his frustrations, Louis pressed the accelerator; the sports car became a blue lightning bolt, darting across the vast expanse.

After shouting away his frustrations, Louis pressed the accelerator harder; the sports car became a blue lightning bolt, darting through the vast wasteland.

“Ohhh!”

A sultry woman got into the car, enticed by it.

The next morning.

Louis, having released his stress, crushed a mint candy, picked up the newspaper left by the woman, and stared at it.

Having released some pressure, Louis crushed a mint candy and picked up a newspaper left behind by the woman, staring at it closely.

Louis, departing from the edge of Texas, passed through New Mexico and arrived at its corner, near Kansas.

Here lay a desert wasteland, dust swirling, the sky’s clouds faintly tinged black-green.

Outside the wasteland, coils of barbed wire sealed off the roads.

Louis passed through here, saw the warning signs—Danger: Nuclear Contamination—and couldn’t help smiling; this was exactly what he sought.

As Louis passed through here and saw the warning on the paper—dangerous, nuclear-contaminated site—he couldn’t help smiling; this was exactly what he was looking for.

This was perfect to test whether his defenses could block radiation, and to see what place radiation—this modern creation—held in the mystical realm.

He had thought of this after reading the newspaper, which mentioned a military nuclear contamination site in the desert.

This was something Louis thought of after seeing the newspaper report that the Gobi Desert housed a military-established abandoned nuclear-contaminated base.

Louis walked inside.

Honestly,

this nuclear-contaminated wasteland was different; Louis sensed the surrounding heaven and earth subtly carried a “toxicity”—his body felt a prickling sensation like needles.

But the Ten Thousand Illusions Robe was effective; this “toxicity” could never enter Louis’s body.

As he advanced, the prickling sensation grew stronger, and the environment changed noticeably.

Seeing black grass on the ground, Louis pulled up a strand and examined it closely.

According to the newspaper, the nuclear contamination here had lasted decades; no wonder plants could grow, but their color was odd.

Looking at the black grass, Louis hesitated, then removed the protective barrier from his fingertip; the moment it was fully exposed, he felt the prickling sensation intensify sharply.

For ordinary humans with weak perception, radiation had no such sensation—but Louis was no longer human.

Feeling this clear prickling, Louis activated the Corpse Refinement Technique.

He began attempting to absorb this substance.

Yes.

Louis was conducting a small experiment.

Could nuclear radiation be classified as demonic energy?

After all, this was modern society, different from ancient times; many things had changed—perhaps he could adapt his techniques to local conditions, expanding their diversity.

As the Corpse Refinement Technique activated, the prickling sensation slowly lessened, replaced by something condensing, becoming qi, drawn through his fingertip into his body, circulating.

As the Corpse-Subduing Technique activated, the needle-like pricking sensation began to slowly fade, replaced by something coalescing, transforming into qi, drawn in through his fingertips and circulating within.

Louis’s eyes gleamed; this energy behaved like other demonic energies during circulation, merely more volatile, harder to control—but under his Pure Yin realm, it would not spiral out of control.

Louis’s eyes gleamed; this power operated like other malevolent qi, but carried an added restlessness, making it harder to control—yet under his Pure Yin realm, it remained well within his grasp.

Speaking of which,

what kind of demonic energy was this?

Nuclear demonic energy? Radiation demonic energy?

He didn’t know what use it would have.

Regardless, first absorb a large quantity.

Louis increased his absorption; as he drew in more, his fingertip slowly turned fiery red—a sign of excessive demonic energy accumulating without full transformation.

But Louis soon frowned and stopped; his fingertip quickly returned to pale normalcy.

Because there was nothing left to absorb.

“Pure radiation is not demonic energy.”

Louis stated this conclusion.

After observing closely for a few moments, Louis kicked the sandy ground with a thud, using his Yin Spirit power—whirr!

A fragile, completely shattered white skeleton appeared before Louis.

“So that’s it—someone died here under nuclear radiation; their corpse and soul, over years, merged with the contaminated land, giving rise to this nuclear demonic energy—not just any random radiation qualifies as demonic energy.”

“So that’s how it is—born from corpses and souls that, over years of exposure to nuclear radiation, merged with the contaminated land. Only then does it become the kind of nuclear malevolent qi I just encountered; ordinary nuclear radiation alone doesn’t qualify as malevolent qi.”

After all, those nuclear-irradiated men there must have produced plenty of nuclear demonic energy.

After minutely sensing the difference between nuclear demonic energy and radiation,

Louis walked toward the wasteland.

Louis walked toward the Gobi Zone.

There, there should still be plenty of this nuclear corruption.

……

In the Gobi Zone.

A flesh feast was underway.

Several grotesquely deformed humanoids, rivaling the twisted mutants of the Deadly Bend, were feasting voraciously.

In their hands were strips of thighs and arms—blood-drenched scenes fit only for adult content.

Nearby, a cauldron continued to boil, as if something inside were simmering.

Gurgling—gurgling—

Beyond the numerous cramped, narrow passages beside them lay a ruined, bombed-out air raid shelter.

Clearly, this had once been a complex air raid shelter built into the mountainside.

Above the hall where the mutants feasted, several bodies hung suspended; most were already lifeless, and some wore the uniforms of American soldiers, while several guns lay piled in a corner of the floor.

Clearly, these soldiers and travelers had been captured by the mutants.

At that moment, one mutant who consistently refused to eat meat turned toward a Kong Dong.

Outside the mountainside.

Louis had walked over, his brow slightly furrowed.

The stench of blood—and a sense of being watched!

Hum!

The Ten Thousand Illusions Robe subtly shifted, and Louis’s form adjusted minutely.

He no longer looked like Louis at all.

Only then did Louis relax, scanning his surroundings with his eyes and sniffing faintly with his nose.

Soon, his gaze locked onto the mountainside beside them.

There, the bloodstained odor was overwhelming, and the concentration of nuclear corruption was the highest.

Louis stepped forward.

Behind Louis, in a narrow crack between the rocks nearby, a red dot flickered faintly.

(End of Chapter)