Chapter 176: Revisiting the Ten Thousand Treasures Auction, Witch Clan Essence Blood Aids Cultivation [Yesterday's Missed Update]

Beside the elixir pool, there was a small bronze tripod, exhaling sandalwood smoke that curled up like clouds.

Sunlight from all directions shot into the interior, blooming in variegated colors, clear and jade-pure.

Fang Longye sat upright on the Cloud Couch, circulating his Dharma, and above his crown, three feet of radiance—imbued with the colors of drizzling rain—hung at the very top, while the Yin and Yang Two Qis transformed into black and white twin dragons, floating and sinking amidst the auspicious clouds.

Yet, the majority of his focus had already submerged into that space within his Grotto-Heaven.

The fragments of the Tengkong Sword and the Tiger Soul Blade had long since been spontaneously locked in an inextricable struggle.

The true bodies of these two.

One was the sword worn by a sage king of the Human Race, the other was the divine weapon of the War Lord Chiyou; one was modeled after the Xuanyuan Sword, the other was a defeated foe of the Xuanyuan Sword.

Even as fragments meeting, they were like bitter enemies.

The two clashed, spawning lightning like water, arcs of electricity swaying, tens of thousands of them—light blue, deep blue, dark cyan, everything one could imagine.

The sound of their collision crackled and popped.

One Yin, one Yang; one righteous, one evil; one sage, one Demon—within the small space, each bloomed with two opposing phenomena.

In the area where the Tiger Soul Blade resided, black blade-Qi sprouted, deep as a prison.

Carrying an aura that filled the sky and covered the earth, it connected top to bottom, forming black-cyan seal characters that constructed hundreds upon thousands of chains.

Linked ring by ring, paired strand by strand, they permeated with an unimaginable corrosive power and an incredible devouring force, driving straight into the area of the Tengkong Sword fragments.

The power of destruction invaded inward, wave after wave.

The Tengkong Sword fragments naturally refused to show weakness.

Countless brilliant sword-Qi rays roamed all around, suddenly gathering together to transform into a lofty, indistinct Sword of the Sage Dao.

Above, it bore dragon patterns; below, it depicted literary compositions; words of merit and the voices of sages sounded, accompanied by the simultaneous playing of bells, drums, gongs, and jade chimes.

It bombarded the Demon realm evolved by the Tiger Soul Blade fragments with magnificent power, manifesting as blooming celestial flowers in full, furious blossom—supremely righteous, purely Yang, flawless and beautiful, naturally flowering.

Containing boundless radiance, the supremely perfect and holy Aura spilled out, advancing steadily, step by step.

Of course, the Tiger Soul Blade fragments naturally gave rise to a counterattack, with countless chains sprouting, one after another, locking onto the supremely perfect and beautiful celestial flowers.

Not only preventing them from blooming, but conversely corroding them, turning them into flowers of evil.

Chaos, corrosion, devouring, destruction—the flower of evil bloomed.

Yang reaching its extreme gave birth to Yin; the supremely perfect and beautiful flower of sage merit was completely twisted, becoming its absolute opposite.

Fortunately, with Fang Longye manipulating from behind, it soon regained the upper hand.

Utilizing the slight connection established with the Tengkong fragments, he sometimes supported the Tengkong fragments' attacks, and sometimes suppressed their power.

Maintaining a special kind of balance.

When the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman profits.

The Panlong Spear transformed into the size of a fine needle, lurking within the battlefield of the two divine objects, enduring tempering while constantly and secretly absorbing the creation of the two, becoming increasingly powerful.

Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle—

Upon contacting the essence of these two, the Panlong Spear, like parched earth meeting sweet rain, emitted a swallowing sound.

Throughout the divine spear, mysterious patterns continuously sprouted, one after another, and even on the spear shaft, purple-cyan brilliance bloomed.

Such light was the symbol of a divine weapon having attained its climate.

Radiant and mysterious, powerful and profound.

A long while later.

Fang Longye withdrew the Panlong Spear from the battlefield of the two fragments, held it in his hand, and felt it carefully.

Rich Yin and Yang spiritual energy and Five Elements Dao Rhyme came from all directions, gathering into the Panlong Spear, and in an instant, transformed into a vast and majestic power, condensing into an indestructible sharpness.

The wind blew, driving the spiritual Qi from all directions to gather and accumulate behind him, transforming into thousands of tiny wings that collided and whispered.

All the combinations were like blades and swords, capable of slicing through everything.

Where the spear blade pointed, without even using force, the mere spontaneous emission of power caused the Grotto-Heaven beneath his feet to shake, producing cracks and nearing collapse.

This Grotto-Heaven, sufficient to bear the martial exercises of a Golden Immortal and originally artificially reinforced to an incredible solidity, seemed to have turned into paper; it could not even withstand the spontaneous emission of the spear's light.

Fang Longye hurriedly restrained the divine weapon's might, looked at the spatial cracks that refused to heal on their own, and reached out to cast countless seal characters, which transformed into flickering golden specks of light, tinged with purple and cyan.

Then, they outlined into patterns, intertwined with each other, and fell one by one, instantly restoring the collapsed area to its original state.

He breathed a sigh of relief; he had paid to rent this Grotto-Heaven, and if it were truly destroyed...

Whether or not he had to pay the full price in compensation was a small matter.

The key was that he currently had a Calamity looming over him, and it was truly not the time to invite extra trouble.

Lowering his gaze to stare at the transformed Panlong Spear, Fang Longye nodded with satisfaction after looking it over.

As of now.

In terms of attack, the Panlong Spear absolutely did not lose to the Cai Xian Sword in his hand! He also finally confirmed that his previous judgment was correct.

As long as he completely smelted the two divine weapon fragments still clashing within his internal Grotto-Heaven.

The Panlong Spear would surely be able to steadily step into the ranks of supreme divine weapons comparable to a Supreme Spiritual Treasure.

After savoring the current might and mystery of the Panlong Spear, Fang Longye cast this divine weapon that had grown alongside him back into the battlefield of the Tiger Soul and Tengkong fragments.

One part labor, one part harvest.

Naturally, he could not afford to relax.

Stretching, Fang Longye looked at the Calamity of "bad luck" still hanging above his head and his face sank.

He could, of course, use the "Equivalent Balance" Golden Finger to provide cover and protection.

But one can escape for a moment, not for a lifetime.

Having already integrated into this world, his future cultivation would inevitably involve dealing with this heaven and earth.

Before he himself transcended this world, even with a Golden Finger, he still had to follow the rules.

Unless he did not want to continue living in this world.

"It seems I must make another trip to the Wanbao Tower Secret Realm," Fang Longye thought to himself.

Not to mention anything else, he at least had to procure another set of protective gear! Previously, he had deemed it unnecessary and never paid much attention to this aspect.

Of course, it was more that he wanted to get it all done at once, finding an opportunity to acquire a set of Spirit Treasures sufficient to last him a long time.

Preferably the kind that didn't cost money.

Now it seemed that spending was unavoidable.

After making his decision, he did not hesitate further, immediately summoning the two women, Qingli and Ao Ying, and left the rented Grotto-Heaven, retracing the original path to make the Wanbao journey once more.

Outside the Wanbao Tower Secret Realm.

Layer upon layer of clouds and mist grew, a ripple in space swayed, and the figures of Fang Longye, Qingli, and Ao Ying appeared above the cloudy sky.

"This time, I have truly been hollowed out!"

As soon as Fang Longye appeared, he could not stop shaking his head and sighing.

However, thinking of the harvest, the corners of his mouth still curled up, revealing a smile.

Without much consideration, once the Blue Stone Token in his hand dissipated on its own, the three of them flew rapidly, passing through the Space Teleportation Array to quickly return to the rented Grotto-Heaven.

Divine Light was dense, pouring down from above as if tilted from the mouth of a jade bottle, sprinkling over a pond within the Grotto-Heaven. Three or five fish poked their heads out, swaying their tails, swimming happily amidst the light of the water and the shadows of the clouds. All around were swaying bamboo leaves, dropping clear sounds and dense Dao Rhyme.

Fang Longye sat quietly on a Vine Chair. Not far away was moss, washed by water to a clear and light color, reflecting a patch of sunny green onto his brow. He lifted his head slightly, looking at the black-red clusters gathered above his crown.

It condensed without dispersing, appearing as if it existed yet did not.

It was high above, yet ethereal and void.

Compared to before, it was a little less heavy.

"Is it because the power in my hands has increased?" He pondered in his heart, thinking of the several treasures he had obtained from his second visit to Wanbao Tower.

It was just that this Tribulation, although initially triggered by an Outer Tribulation, was not so easy to resolve once it had formed.

However, at the end of the day, as long as one's strength was sufficient, all problems would vanish.

Thinking of this, Fang Longye reached out a finger, and the earth and stone in front of him gathered to form a blue stone platform.

He placed the several treasures he had bought—having emptied himself of all unnecessary resources—upon it.

One robe, one crown, one shuttle, one arrow, and one jade bottle.

The first two were both Superior Spiritual Treasures focused on defense.

The robe was a Dharma garment with Five Elements attributes, named the Five Spirits Nourishing God Robe.

The hair crown shared the same name as the Golden Glow Crown he wore on his head, but the grade was different; with thirty-two Post-Heaven Divine Prohibitions, it was at least a fine imitation compared to the original Spirit Treasure.

The shuttle and the arrow were both one-time use exotic treasures.

The Duntian Shuttle was specifically for escaping, and the Soul Extinguishing Arrow was specifically for attacking.

These two exotic treasures had no restrictions on the depth or thickness of one's Dharma; one only needed a trace of primordial spirit imprint to activate them at will and erupt with their full power.

It could be said that they were specifically developed for cultivators to deal with strong enemies while in a weak state.

As for the jade bottle, it was not some rare treasure; despite being covered inside and out with numerous patterns and talismans, it was merely a carrying tool.

However, the things inside were not simple.

Fang Longye reached out and grabbed, and the jade bottle came into his hand.

With his divine sense probing, the space inside the jade bottle was infinitely vast, containing a crimson ocean, the water rippling with a strange, bright red hue.

Under the surging waves, lush and moist, countless flower buds the size of fists formed, with flames rising upon them, appearing real yet illusory, but upon getting close, there was an unstoppable scorching heat.

Roar! Seemingly sensing Fang Longye's gaze, the crimson ocean surged, raising giant waves.

The visible heat extended outward, and it seemed as if one could hear a mysterious roar, difficult to describe in words, yet anyone could hear the domineering, forceful, and heaven-ruling might contained within it.

Through the jade bottle, Fang Longye only heard the sound and felt as if he were in a sea of fire, with countless flames rushing toward him, endless and infinite, wanting to burn him to ashes.

Wu Clan Essence Blood!

The Wu Clan Essence Blood of a Zhurong bloodline!

It even faintly possessed the aura of a Great Witch.

Converted to the realm of the Immortal Dao, this was equivalent to the essence blood of a long-standing Taiyi.

To Fang Longye, it definitely counted as a rare treasure.

Not caring about much else, Fang Longye immersed his mind into the space of the jade bottle.

He circulated his Dharma, wanting to return this sea of fire to its origin.

Such an action naturally provoked a massive reaction from this crimson ocean.

Within the space of the jade bottle, the fire sea, which was not very docile to begin with, seemed to wake from its slumber, beginning to boil, roar, and surge.

Waves layered upon one another, rising high, condensing into true Zhurong Divine Fire, burning crazily.

If not for Fang Longye maintaining it with his Dharma, this jade bottle, which had been reinforced with various protections, might have already shattered.

Fang Longye let out a cold snort, driving his great Dharma to extract the sea of fire from within the jade bottle.

If viewed from the perspective inside the jade bottle, the entire space seemed to collapse suddenly, as if someone had struck a breach from the outside.

Immediately, a vast and peerless dragon claw reached in, continuously expanding, covering everything.

Afterward, the dragon claw grabbed downward, actually seizing the entire surging sea of fire, and then with a light shake, the entire sea of fire evaporated at a speed visible to the naked eye, until finally, it turned into a single drop of essence blood.

Essence blood.

Only one drop.

Red flames flowed clearly, shining brilliantly.

Billions of rays of light fell down, fine and dense, heading in all directions, containing brightness and intensity.

As the essence blood returned to its origin, it landed in Fang Longye's hand.

Faintly, on the dome of the Grotto-Heaven, a phantom of Zhurong appeared, his whole body wrapped in flames, burning fiercely, incinerating the heavens and destroying the earth.

Just by watching quietly, it was as if one were drawn into that wild, ancient era where the Witch Clan fought against heaven and earth, plucking suns from the sky, catching dragons in the sea, sweeping across the universe, capable of anything.

Iron and blood, slaughter and pioneering; with traits different from all other living beings, they left their own mark and epic upon the universe and the world.

"The Witch Clan is truly blessed by heaven! A single drop of Essence Blood possesses such power; it is truly shocking~"

Fang Longye felt the energy and Dharma contained within this drop of Essence Blood and could not help but sigh with emotion.

This was only the result of him being cautious from the start and restraining its might. Otherwise, this rented Grotto-Heaven would have long since been destroyed.

Even so, when the Essence Blood first appeared, this Grotto-Heaven still let out a groan of being unable to bear the burden.

However, this was precisely the aspect he valued.

Melting the Wu Clan Essence Blood into his body, not to mention the growth in Bloodline, the improvement in his physical body and body refinement alone would be absolutely extraordinary.

Simply because the Witch Clan are natural experts in this regard.

It must be said, in terms of body refinement, the Witch Clan is truly blessed by heaven.

Every member of the Witch Clan is born with an incredibly powerful Bloodline; as they age, it brings greater strength, more formidable defense, and more abundant vitality.

Coupled with their innate combat instincts, it makes the Witch Clan—from Ancestral Witches and Great Witches down to the most ordinary Witch commoners—natural gods of war.

Back during the Lich War, the Witch Clan was far fewer in number than the Demon Clan, yet they were able to go toe-to-toe with them; this was largely why.

There are even rumors that even those Hunyuan Saints realized profound and unfathomable body refinement Dharma from the true forms of the Witch Clan, which they then passed down to their disciples.

For Fang Longye, who has always practiced Dual Cultivation of Dharma and body, this drop of Essence Blood can be called nothing less than a Great Medicine.

However, there is one point.

Fang Longye's eyes shone brightly as he muttered to himself: "It seems the most suitable for me should be the Witch Clan Essence Blood of the Dijiang lineage and the Zhu Jiuyin lineage~"

Although he possesses the fire-path divine ability of Zhurong Divine Fire, he does not walk the path of fire.

Unless he gathers the Essence Blood of the Five Elements Ancestral Witch lineages all at once, for him, who already possesses a fundamental Grotto-Heaven, the path of space-time and the path of the universe are more beneficial to him than the path of fire.

Thinking of this, his eyes shifted, and he immediately sank his consciousness into the Equivalent Balance, exchanging this drop of Witch Clan Essence Blood of the Zhurong lineage for a drop of Witch Clan Essence Blood of the Dijiang lineage.

After that, he did not hesitate.

With a turn of his thoughts, he swallowed the exchanged drop of space-attribute Essence Blood into his belly and operated his secret technique to begin refining it.

Yesterday's chapter, only posting it now. My apologies~ Recommending a book to everyone.

No "py" deals, completely organic. It's even very likely that you brothers have already bookmarked it. An urban novel written by a great author from another site, it's super addictive.

I got hungry after midnight and only stumbled upon it while eating a late-night snack; as a result, I stayed up all night and didn't write to make up the update, but instead finished the book in one go~

(End of this chapter)