Chapter 238: The Theory of the True Pill

The successful refinement of the Wood Emperor Nail caused a heavy stone to settle in Qin Ming's heart.

It meant that in the near future, he would gain a powerful trump card.

If he encountered another bizarre fiend like the one on Lin Zi's body, he would surely be able to slay it.

Afterwards, Moon Gazing Island returned to tranquility.

After several days of adjustment, Qin Ming recovered his depleted vital energy.

During this period, Qin Ming also sent Wu Jiang out in all directions to gather intelligence.

He learned that the beast tide outside had receded significantly, yet from the mouth of the Shi Tian Shu, he learned something else.

This situation suggested that the demonic beasts within the Beast Cry Mountain Range were secretly accumulating strength, preparing to launch an even larger-scale assault on human territories again.

After all, having tasted the sweet nourishment brought by devouring human flesh and blood, once addicted, it was very difficult to stop.

Outside the cave dwelling, the spiritual peach blossoms bloomed once more; the pink peach flowers were lush and verdant, exuding a fragrant spiritual qi.

Qin Ming used several 【Space-Time Leaf】 traits to accelerate the maturation of several Five Elements Vital Energy Spiritual Peach Trees again, planting them separately across the island.

This added a beautiful scenic line to the landscape of the main peak.

Within the beehive, the swarm of spiritual bees buzzed and danced amidst the peach blossoms, pollinating and gathering nectar.

Sitting beneath a peach blossom tree, Qin Ming leisurely sipped Bai Yulin Wine while holding and studying that third-grade spiritual plant inheritance jade slip in his hands.

On the stone table beside him rested a jade box, inside which lay a black, date-shaped fruit pit.

It was precisely the spiritual seed of that 'Fengyou Ghost Date'.

"Xuan Sha Spiritual Liquid can indeed cultivate spiritual plants that bear Golden Core spiritual items."

"However, one needs the corpses of ghost entities or spiritual bodies to cast the Seed Sha Technique on this basis."

"Such ghost corpses are not easy to obtain; to cultivate enough quantity to condense Xuan Sha Spiritual Liquid, generally only Yin Sha lands or Modao Sects possess them."

"Where on earth am I to obtain so many ghost remains?"

Qin Ming muttered to himself, lost in deep thought, his fingers tapping against the stone tabletop.

At this moment.

The Shi Tian Shu, hearing Qin Ming's words, ran over carrying the Shennong Hoe and said, "Hehe! Master, I know where to get ghost entities and spiritual body corpses."

"Oh? Tell me about it."

"If it's true, you will be heavily rewarded."

Qin Ming said with great interest upon hearing this.

Upon hearing 'heavily rewarded', the Shi Tian Shu immediately became excited, grinning broadly as it said, "That would be the former Thousand Leaf Spiritual Island."

"Originally, beneath that island lay a remnant demonic cave, and coupled with the several great calamities that befell the spiritual island, countless demonic beasts and cultivators died; moreover, it was once the old nest of the Demonic Vines, so beneath it there must be quite a few ghost entities and spiritual bodies formed."

Hearing this, Qin Ming asked with confusion:

"Wasn't Thousand Leaf Island destroyed by the spells of a Jin Dan old ancestor during the last Demon-Slaying Battle involving the three major powers?"

"How could ghost entities still exist there?"

The Shi Tian Shu said mysteriously, "That is only the surface; back when I was severely injured and fled to the Spiritual Perch Archipelago, I also passed by Thousand Leaf Island."

"But relying on my bloodline divine ability, I could sense that deep within a certain underground location there, dense sha qi still exists; it is just very well concealed."

"Judging by my assessment, that demonic cave should have absorbed the sha qi of the many living beings that died on the spiritual island and has not yet completely perished."

Hearing the Shi Tian Shu speak thus, Qin Ming's face lit up with joy.

Given its skills in tunneling and observing qi, it was most likely true.

"Although the demonic plants on the island were eradicated by the Jin Dan old ancestor, I wonder if there will still be danger inside?"

"See if this is the same type of aura."

Having said this, Qin Ming took out the black iron shard that had fallen from the Blood Curse Demonic Vine from his storage bag and handed it to the Shi Tian Shu.

"This! This! This!"

"Such powerful sha qi, and it seems stained with demonic blood too!"

Taking the black iron shard, the Shi Tian Shu was so shocked it nearly couldn't speak.

To speak the truth, it was finding it harder and harder to fathom its master; how could such a heaven-defying object be in his hands? "Yes, yes, yes!"

"The aura is extremely similar to that on the iron shard."

"However... since the demonic plants have been removed and the key item for demonic transformation is in Master's hands, inside that demonic cave there should only remain some low-grade ghost entities."

"They should not pose too great a threat to Master."

With clear reasoning, the Shi Tian Shu quickly voiced its thoughts.

Hearing this, Qin Ming immediately felt reassured, yet true to his cautious style, he still did not intend to rush into adventure directly.

After all, that was a place that had once spawned third-grade demonic plants.

He planned to boost his strength another notch before going to investigate the truth.

Qin Ming dismissed the Shi Tian Shu and returned inside the cave dwelling.

Subsequently, he took out two jade bottles, which contained the second-grade peak demonic beast essence blood he had purchased earlier.

One bottle contained the Shi Yuan Great Demon essence blood obtained through trade from the Golden Toad Old Monster, while the other contained the Giant Mi Cang Ape Great Demon essence blood exchanged from the white-faced middle-aged man disguised as Lin Zi.

These two types of ape demonic beasts were also outstanding among the demonic clans, only slightly weaker than the Double-Pupil Demonic Ape.

Furthermore, ape-type demonic beasts mostly possessed extremely high intelligence, were not easy to hunt, possessed extremely formidable strength, had flexible and varied speeds, and could even use weapons like humans, making their combat power ferocious.

Hunting them was quite difficult.

Even the Golden Toad Old Monster had lost several companions before managing to obtain just this one bottle of Shi Yuan Great Demon essence blood.

Qin Ming immediately popped the bottle cap, tilted his head back, and swallowed this bottle of second-grade peak Shi Yuan Great Demon essence blood.

Boom! Scorching and violent blood and qi energy exploded within his body.

However, Qin Ming had previously refined the essence blood of the Double-Pupil Demonic Ape, and having met the conditions required for the third transformation of True Gang Form Change, his physical body had already undergone earth-shaking changes.

At this moment, swallowing Shi Yuan's essence blood no longer brought the same agony—only a surge of energy racing wildly through his body, and faintly, he could hear the resentful, roaring struggle of Shi Yuan's essence spirit.

Qin Ming activated the "Hundred Treasures Glazed Scripture." No—according to Shi Tian Shu's words, it should now be called the "Heavenly Demon Body Refinement Strategy."

Suddenly!

After he refined the first streak of Shi Yuan's great demon essence blood, Qin Ming's qi and blood true罡 rose once more.

At the same time.

The beast hide in Qin Ming's arms flew out on its own; a certain spot on the map suddenly flared with a streak of Bai Guang, which shot into Qin Ming's third eye.

The Hundred Beasts Contemplation Map manifested as if real in his mind sea.

After entering the third transformation of True罡 Shaping, the Hundred Beasts Contemplation Map seemed to undergo some transformation.

The images Qin Ming could perceive now lasted longer—not just one or two breaths.

In the depths of the unseen, a sequence of imagery unfolded strangely in Qin Ming's vision.

The first scene: on a vast, wild land, war raged, countless cultivators and beast tribes fell, their blood drenching the earth crimson.

The human cultivators joined forces and finally wiped out an entire clan of ape-like beast tribes—even the youngest cubs were not spared.

The scene shifted.

Before him stood a magnificent human immortal city, spanning tens of thousands of hectares—its scale more than ten times that of Canghai Xiancheng.

Suddenly, the earth trembled! A colossal thousand-zhang mountain ape appeared, its entire body covered in silvery-white fur, muscles bulging with explosive power.

Along with the mountain ape's staggering aura surged a fury that had been struck upon its sacred scale: "Petty humans! How dare you exterminate my offspring!"

His thunderous roar sent all cultivators fleeing in panic. The mountain ape strode with sovereign might between the peaks.

With each step.

The pressure and killing intent radiating from him grew more terrifying.

Until several bolts of black lightning exploded around him!

The mountain ape bent its knees and leapt, its form shooting toward the heavens.

His right hand clenched into a fist, radiating a brilliance like a dying star.

This punch was too blinding.

The entire grand human immortal city was engulfed in crimson light.

When the annihilating killing intent spread.

Heaven and earth dimmed in that instant!

The mountain ape gripped the great sun, his thunderous accusations shaking the cosmos: "Beneath the wild wastes, all are my offspring—how dare you?" No more words were spoken.

The "Void Annihilation Fist Shadow" crashed down! With one punch, it seemed as if the primordial chaos of the universe was born and perished before his eyes.

Spanning the distance from sky to earth, this was a strike from the galaxy, falling from the heavens.

From afar.

The thousand-zhang mountain ape seemed entirely merged into the blaze of light.

A scorching meteor tore through the sky.

A terrifying aura erupted violently!

Boom! In an instant, nothing within the immortal city could be seen.

Only Bai Guang swallowed everything—the square was engulfed in radiance, countless towering buildings reduced to dust.

More and more pavilions were shattered by the residual waves.

The exaggerated shockwave blew away tens of thousands of cultivators.

After the explosion at the city's center, a pillar of fire shot skyward, igniting rolling smoke that spread across half the city.

Black lightning swept everything away; wherever it passed, countless human cultivators instantly shattered into fragments.

With just one punch.

The white mountain ape reduced the entire colossal immortal city to flat earth. Immediately after, a violent dizziness surged through Qin Ming's mind; his vision blurred as he exited the Hundred Beasts Contemplation.

He was utterly immersed in profound shock.

"What kind of physical power is this?"

"It's like dropping a nuclear bomb on the earth!"

"This level of power must far surpass the Jin Dan realm."

"But what does it mean?"

"Why did I see this terrifying scene?"

"Can the 'Heavenly Demon Body Refinement Strategy' truly reach such a level?"

Qin Ming fell into deep thought. Clearly, he could not wield such power.

Yet then, a mysterious insight flooded into his mind.

It was a single thread of the fist intent from that cataclysmic punch! Simultaneously, as he exited the Hundred Beasts Contemplation state, Qin Ming fully refined the second-grade perfect Shi Yuan great demon's essence blood, integrating it into his strength.

Seizing the moment, Qin Ming devoured another second-grade perfect Ju Mi Cang Yuan essence blood and resumed his cultivation.

When swallowing and refining the second essence blood, it was smoother than before.

As cultivation progressed, the Hundred Beasts Contemplation Map opened again, and the shocking scene reappeared before Qin Ming's eyes.

His understanding of the fist intent deepened once more.

And it accelerated the refinement of the second beast essence blood, pushing his physical strength to an unprecedented height.

"Just one more beast essence blood left—I can perfect the third transformation of True罡 Shaping and attain the legendary True Ultimate Body."

"Moreover, once the third transformation is complete, I will awaken a physical divine art like a beast." Qin Ming clenched his fingers, his gaze filled with anticipation.

Since he had witnessed the majestic form of the mountain ape in the Hundred Beasts Contemplation Map, he could not deny his longing for such a divine art.

Of course, its power would never match the mountain ape's—should it reach even one ten-millionth of its strength, Qin Ming would be more than satisfied.

Furthermore, once Qin Ming fully masters the third transformation of the Foundation Establishment chapter within the "Heavenly Demon Body Refining Strategy" and achieves the True Extreme Body, he will be able to withstand even magical treasures with his bare flesh.

Beyond that, he must also consider how to obtain the subsequent cultivation methods, which should involve body-refining techniques for the Jin Dan realm.

Inside the cave dwelling.

Qin Ming opened his eyes, black as ink, and exhaled a long breath.

"Only one final drop of essential blood remains!"

At this moment, merely the aura radiating from him caused the Shi Tian Shu outside to tremble with fear.

"Unbelievable, truly unbelievable."

"Master has fully cultivated the demonic clan's holy scripture, 'Heavenly Demon Body Refining Strategy,' to the third transformation; he is merely a hair's breadth away from complete mastery!"

"If this continues, Master might actually reach the legendary realm of 'Qi and Blood Embracing the Pill'."

"So many demonic clan geniuses have failed to successfully cultivate this holy scripture—who could have imagined that a human cultivator would be the one to succeed?"

"Would that not be the greatest joke under heaven?"

The Shi Tian Shu forgot all about its work, propping itself up on the Shennong Hoe, staring blankly in the direction of Qin Ming's cave dwelling while muttering to itself.

With a movement of his divine sense, Qin Ming naturally heard every word the Shi Tian Shu spoke, so he summoned it inside and then asked:

"What did you mean just now by 'Qi and Blood Embracing the Pill'?"

Sensing the terrifying aura of an ancient giant beast emanating from Qin Ming, the Shi Tian Shu immediately shivered, then put on a ingratiating smile and replied, "Hee-hee! Reporting to my respected Master, 'Qi and Blood Embracing the Pill' is the realm achieved after completing the third transformation of the 'Heavenly Demon Body Refining Strategy'."

"In other words, it is similar to what you human cultivators call 'forming a pill within the flesh'."

"However, it is even stronger than forming a pill within the flesh."

"Upon achieving 'Qi and Blood Embracing the Pill', a true pill of qi and blood will condense on the foundation of the True Extreme Body, equivalent to the human Jin Dan stage; yet in nearly a hundred years, even among those several lineages of the Wang Zu, no great demon has ever been born capable of condensing such a true pill of qi and blood."

"Once the true pill manifests, one becomes invincible even among peers of the same rank within the demonic clan."

Hearing this, Qin Ming frowned slightly, not expecting that this gray-furred rat actually had some substance in its belly, allowing him to learn information crucial to himself.

Following this, he asked with doubt, "Then how do you know that the 'Heavenly Demon Body Refining Strategy' can be cultivated to this realm? And furthermore, how do you understand the matter of the true pill of qi and blood so clearly?"

"Did you not claim to be unaware of the subsequent whereabouts of this cultivation method?"

"Could it be that you are concealing something?"

As Qin Ming spoke these words, the atmosphere in the air began to solidify.

"Eh, how would I dare to conceal anything!"

"As for the matter of the 'Heavenly Demon Body Refining Strategy', it was passed down generation by generation by the elders of my clan, so I happen to know a thing or two."

"Since the demon scripture is of grave importance, I indeed do not know its whereabouts."

"However, it is highly likely that the Green-Faced Poisonous Jiao holds a copy."

Before finishing, the Shi Tian Shu made sure to throw the Green-Faced Poisonous Jiao under the bus, after all, it was precisely because of that creature that it had fallen into such a plight.

'With Master's luck, which is like that of a child of fate, he might actually be able to avenge me and vent some of this pent-up resentment!'

The Shi Tian Shu's thoughts drifted far away as it secretly indulged in fantasies (End of Chapter)