Devour

Chapter 455 The 4th Inner Alchemy: Facilitation

Cheng Bai pondered Li Tong's words and humbly asked, "So, it means that one needs to rely on a strong divine sense to capture the essence of the secret technique, right?"

"You've grasped the essence!" Li Tong's face lit up with joy, and he nodded in approval. He then explained in more detail, "In this process, cultivators need to expend both their energy and patience to ponder the hidden mysteries. If there is no suitable talisman, they must use perseverance as their boat, wait patiently, observe clearly, and think deeply until they find their preferred choice."

"I see." Cheng Bai closed his eyes slightly, focusing his mind to probe the Bone Sword Saint Embryo.

Immediately, he felt a slight tremor in his mind; indeed, there was a profound mystery hidden within those jagged bone spurs.

The fine bone spurs trembled with a subtle rhythm, as if they were alive, slowly and orderly changing and reorganizing in a cycle, evolving into all sorts of strange and inexplicable formations.

"There are as many as twenty-one!" Cheng Bai opened his eyes, unable to hide his astonishment. "The runes contained within the Holy Embryo are profound and unfathomable, and they can unconsciously evolve on their own, forming an array! This qualitative leap means that the Holy Embryo and the Inner Core are now worlds apart!"

Li Tong continued, "The Bone Sword Saint Embryo represents the complete understanding and internalization of 'technique.' What the Bone Emperor seeks is to use it as a bridge to 'enlightenment,' not to 'perform techniques.' Therefore, most runes gradually fade into obscurity for him, with only a handful able to transform into core power!"

Cheng Bai deduced the existing runes and magic arrays on the bone sword and concluded: "At present, only the 'Body Seizure' technique seems somewhat useless; the others have not yet been discovered. The Bone Emperor's commonly used spells are 'Listening' and 'Transformation,' which he is most proficient in, and these two must be extremely powerful!"

Li Tong nodded in agreement and explained, "The Body Seizure Technique is a supreme technique of the highest rank, and should not be underestimated. In certain life-or-death situations, it can help cultivators prolong their original consciousness and avoid the calamity of death and annihilation."

Cheng Bai pondered and said, "Evil cultivators can seize bodies in order to obtain a better body. However, it is subject to many restrictions. Not only are the requirements for the strength of the caster's own primordial spirit and the race and bloodline of the target very high, but the timing must also be controlled properly. If there is any mistake, it will backfire! Therefore, this technique is not as practical as the 'reincarnation and rebirth' mastered by demon cultivators such as Sister Bei and Master Zhai."

Li Tong thought for a moment and added, "Reincarnation and rebirth, mortal-grade Dao techniques, although of a higher grade than possession, are only available once in a lifetime. After Sister Bei and Master Zhai succeeded, they could never use them again."

"I am determined to attain enlightenment in this lifetime. Such a trick as possession is unnecessary." Cheng Bai shook his head, noticing a strange change in the bone spike formation of the bone sword. He observed carefully, "Look, after it operates for a while, new runes will appear!"

Deducing the mystery within, Cheng Bai asked, "Is it a 'divination' technique? Is it useful?"

Li Tong chuckled and replied, "Divination is a common incantation. Its uses are actually quite extensive, such as predicting the timing of wind and rain, cold and warm weather, or divination of human fortunes such as weddings and funerals. With the help of simple tools like tortoise shells and compasses, this art can ensure that a junior cultivator can make a living."

Cheng Bai asked curiously, "Is this calculation accurate?"

Li Tong chuckled dryly, "Divination is fairly accurate for simple matters, but it becomes increasingly inaccurate for complex ones. In particular, it is extremely difficult to succeed in peering into higher-dimensional fragments using this technique. Not only does it consume too much mana, but it may also shorten a cultivator's lifespan! Although it covers a wide range, it is far inferior to your 'deduction' in its subtleties."

Cheng Bai pursed his lips and muttered, "Let's move on from this one. Let's keep looking..."

After waiting a moment, Cheng Bai noticed the new runes emerging in the ghostly blue light and hurriedly asked, "'Painted Skin,' what's it for?"

Li Tong said, "This 'Painting Skin' technique is a high-level talisman technique. First, prepare a piece of animal or human skin, draw various faces on it, and wear it. You can change your appearance at will. As a low-level disguise technique, this technique is suspected to be an early skill of the Bone Emperor."

"It's over..." Cheng Bai patiently waited for the bone spike formation to change again.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up: "'Listening'? This should be good; it can greatly enhance perception."

Li Tong explained, "Listening is a supreme and wondrous technique. It allows one to know reincarnation, discern cause and effect, and hear the underworld from billions of miles away. This is truly a powerful secret technique, and its effects go far beyond simply enhancing perception. It is unique among all types of precognitive techniques!"

Cheng Bai couldn't help but sigh, "It's still far from good enough. The Di Ting's grade doesn't surpass that of the Overlord Poison, so it can't be used for sacrifice."

After observing for a long time, the Bone Sword Saint Embryo, like a tireless martial artist, changed several runes in succession:

"Corpse control" refers to manipulating corpses for one's own use;

"Bone armor" refers to armor made of solidified bone, as solid as a fortress.

"Regeneration" means that severed limbs can be reattached, and life can continue.

"Human puppet" is created by extracting the essence of a living puppet.

"Ghost Claw," the Ghost Hand of the Underworld, shatters body and soul...

The various secret techniques on display were all captivating to ordinary cultivators, yet Cheng Bai rejected them all, deeming them undesirable choices.

A day passed in the blink of an eye. Finally, the bone spikes on the sword spiraled and coiled in a mysterious trajectory, condensing into an unprecedentedly complex rune, surrounded by a strange blue light.

Cheng Bai's heart pounded wildly, filled with joy, and he blurted out, "'Easy Transformation'! This is a secret technique that the Bone Emperor once boasted about. I wonder what its wondrous uses are?"

Li Tong's voice suddenly rose several decibels: "Yi Hua, it's actually a Source-grade Dao technique! The one who masters this technique can transform at will seventy-two times a day, and all things in the world can imitate its appearance! Quick, this is it, don't miss this opportunity!"

Without hesitation, Cheng Bai sat cross-legged, focused his consciousness, and enveloped the bone sword like a net, firmly locking onto the Ease of Transformation rune.

"Hiss..." Yingzhao's corpse seemed to have sensed Cheng Bai's will, and slowly prostrated itself on the ground, offering the holy embryo.

The strange image of the Taotie beast head soared into the air, opened its mouth and picked up the Bone Sword Saint Embryo from the fingertips of Ying Zhao's corpse. It then quickly shrank, transformed into a stream of light, and disappeared into Cheng Bai Dantian.

At this moment, the Blue Eye Maze trembled slightly, and a deep blue light flowed around Cheng Bai, instantly spreading out and making the entire hall seem as if it were immersed in a sea of ​​icy blue light.

Cheng Bai looked inward at his dantian and saw one of the three drooping branches of the Jianmu tree swaying gently. The branch resembled a giant claw grasping a ball of blue, turbid energy that radiated brilliant light.

The vortex in its claws spun endlessly like a miniature galaxy. As the beast-headed anomaly approached, it suddenly unleashed a powerful and domineering suction force, pulling the Bone Sword Saint Embryo into the vortex.

A vast and beautiful celestial light enveloped the bone sword, causing it to change shape in various ways. Sometimes it twisted and writhed like a writhing dragon, and sometimes it stretched out and shone like a star ring.

"Boom..." With each change, the Holy Embryo released immense power, its sound like thunder.

After much effort, Jianmu finally extracted a dark blue rune. It pulsated with the rhythm of life, gradually merging into the blue, turbid energy.

As the thunder subsided, the inner core refined from the Jianmu tree had taken shape, its form resembling both a knife and a sword, bathed in flowing spiritual light, its form indistinct and uncertain.

Under the grip of the giant claw, the fourth rune core was like a mysterious weapon wielded by an ancient saint, exuding a chilling and murderous aura, displaying supreme majesty!

The sacred embryo contained immense power, far exceeding the sum of the inner elixir offered previously, helping Cheng Bai's power to soar rapidly, and also causing the Jianmu tree to once again manifest its magnificent and mysterious nature.

The towering divine tree shone with divine light, its vast magical power surging like a sea, striving to reach the endless unknown realm above.

Countless runes formed a magic array, soaring like rare birds and beasts, transforming into flowing clouds and iridescent mists, reflecting the surging sea of ​​magical power below.

The void was filled with magnificent wonders, with numerous runes and magic arrays swirling and dancing, eventually converging into one, majestically revealing the fifth gate of magical power—the Gate of Unobstructedness!

It is quite different from the previous four immortal gates, with no fixed and unchanging form. Sometimes it is as gentle as flowing water, and sometimes it is as firm as diamond and unbreakable.

Above that ethereal door, immense magical power broke free from ancient shackles, as if free will had finally broken through numerous constraints and gained liberation!

"Open the gate of unobstructed passage!" Cheng Bai silently chanted, pushing his powerful magic to its limit, and boldly broke through this challenging obstacle.

The majestic immortal gate suddenly burst open, leading straight to the void.

The clear, melodious music rose gently, soaring through the heavens.

A burst of divine light shone directly into the Purple Palace, illuminating the mind's eye.

Through this portal, overwhelming magical power surged forth, unstoppable, and with its immense might, it shattered the very foundation of consciousness and bondage!

The new energy transforms into a warm current, flowing from the inside out, from the dantian to the meridians and acupoints, and then reaching every part of the body, making Cheng Bai feel comfortable and at ease throughout his body.

When there are no obstacles, the mind and body arise spontaneously, and wherever the intention goes, the form follows. At this point, the five gates of magical power are completely connected to the upper, middle, and lower dantian, allowing them to circulate and resonate with each other.