Chapter 226 - 179: Divine Ability Metamorphosis! First Sign of Demonic Traces
Chapter 226: Chapter 179: Divine Ability Metamorphosis! First Sign of Demonic Traces
"Li’Er will be careful. Don’t worry, Brother Lin."
Lin Changheng watched Mo Zhaoli fly away on her Dharma Ship until she disappeared from sight, then turned back with a frown.
She had just revealed a piece of information to him. The group they were sent to exterminate—rumored to be a band of Tribulation Cultivators—were actually Demon Cultivators.
The Song Territory had always had Demon Sects, but they were so suppressed that they could barely survive. Forced to hide, they had never managed to become a significant force.
And so, they remained largely unknown.
This particular Demon Sect force was suspected of either infiltrating from elsewhere or having taken root locally, but they had hidden themselves so well that no one knew of their existence.
But regardless of the circumstances, as soon as the Purple Extreme Sect received this intelligence, they issued an extermination order without a second thought. The reason didn’t matter—all were to be slain.
They even dispatched seven Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
To conduct a saturation strike.
The goal was to ensure their complete annihilation, leaving no one alive.
"Demon Cultivators..."
It is said that the Righteous and Demonic paths cannot coexist. Evidently, the Demon Cultivators in the Song Territory had already been utterly crushed and were on the brink of extinction.
...
Back in his Seclusion Room, Lin Changheng seemed somewhat distracted.
It seemed the area around the Immortal City wasn’t as peaceful as it appeared on the surface; dark undercurrents were stirring.
’I have to increase my strength to protect myself as quickly as possible.’
Lin Changheng, who had relaxed slightly, felt a renewed sense of crisis grip his heart.
’I need to perform Metamorphosis on the Mountain-moving Ape Treasure Seed right away!’
Lin Changheng’s focus sharpened. He took out the ten newly acquired vials of Earth Element Profound Spirit Essence Blood, his eyes narrowing.
He began to absorb them one by one.
’Absorb! Metamorphosis, now!’
’Come, True Intent of the Carrying Mountain Divine Abilities!’
A VMMMM sound rang out.
The Primordial Cauldron responded instantly. With a slight tremor, it drained each vial of Essence Blood, leaving behind nothing but a thin, moist residue.
The next moment, Lin Changheng’s perspective shifted abruptly. He was pulled into his sea of consciousness, the colossal Primordial Cauldron standing before him like a mountain.
Wisps of earthy-yellow light gathered, continuously boring into the phantom of the Dao Fruit, causing it to solidify and become more vivid.
[Mountain-moving Ape Treasure Seed·Fifth Layer]
[Spirit Stealing: 100/100]
[Metamorphosis: 10/10]
...
[Essence Blood Full. Metamorphosis Success!]
[Mountain-moving Ape Dao Fruit · Supreme]
[Can Refine into Demon Beast bloodline’s innate Divine Abilities: "Carrying Mountain" True Intent]
The Primordial Cauldron stirred once more.
The toll of a great bell rang in his mind, and on the walls of the cauldron, ten thousand beasts opened their eyes, coming to life.
The scene before him transformed.
Once again, he saw the vast, shattered earth, with innumerable rocks and chunks of soil floating in the air. The entire world seemed to have been crushed by an invisible, giant hand and turned into a chaotic, barren wasteland.
This time, Lin Changheng didn’t waste time staring in stunned awe as he had before.
He knew he would undergo Metamorphosis into the colossal Golden Giant Ape that could prop up the heavens, becoming the ruler of this domain.
He immediately split his consciousness. One part focused on experiencing the sensation of becoming the Golden Ape and wielding its Divine Abilities. The other part curiously raised a hand, lowered its head, and glanced down.
One half of his consciousness sank into a sea of frenzied, boundless power. It felt as if every strand of golden fur surged with terrifying might. A raised hand could collapse mountains; a single breath could change the weather. The entire trembling world was reflected in its crimson-gold pupils.
The instincts of a True Spirit giant ape awakened in his blood, and a low growl that made space itself tremble rumbled from his throat.
’What terrifying, mighty power!’
Meanwhile, the other half of his consciousness remained exceptionally clear, observing his own furry, mountain-sized palm from an absurdly high vantage point.
Its five fingers were like stone pillars, and when its sharp nails scraped together, they threw off sparks. Dao patterns flowed like Earth Veins through its palm lines. With a casual grasp, it crushed a thundercloud miles away.
Even more wondrous was the giant tail extending from its coccyx. A casual swing could kick up a hurricane, and a single lash could shatter a mountain range.
After about three breaths, everything—like a flower in a mirror or the moon in the water—suddenly disintegrated and vanished.
The barren wasteland, the Golden Giant Ape—all of it receded like a tide.
Though Lin Changheng was reluctant to leave, his consciousness was violently wrenched away. After a bout of intense vertigo, he found himself back in his sea of consciousness, facing the Primordial Cauldron.
’Refine the True Intent of the Carrying Mountain Divine Abilities into me!’
His heart filled with anticipation as an earthy-yellow Dao Fruit rippled within the Primordial Cauldron. It felt incomparably dense and heavy as it plunged directly into Lin Changheng’s Divine Soul.
In that instant, Lin Changheng’s Divine Soul felt as if it were being crushed beneath a mountain. Every inch seemed to be filled with sand and slurry, becoming unbearably heavy.
The earthy-yellow Dao Fruit detonated in his sea of consciousness, shattering into countless fragments that branded themselves deep into his Divine Soul and every corner of his body.
At once, Lin Changheng felt a profound transformation in how he wielded his strength.
Closing his eyes to contemplate the change, he discovered that with the blessing of the Divine Power True Intent, his strength had been amplified by at least twofold!
An amplification of about two and a half times!
This was based on the strength of his current Tier Two Middle Stage Body Refining.
But he knew that this was nowhere near the limit of the Carrying Mountain Divine Abilities’ True Intent. This number was simply...
...the limit of his own physical body!
As long as he continued to temper and strengthen his body, making it more resilient, the power unleashed by the True Intent of the Carrying Mountain Divine Abilities would be infinite!
Lin Changheng was absolutely certain of this.
’I have to keep collecting Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures for Body Refining and continue strengthening my physique! After all, survival is the most fundamental thing. The stronger my body, the better my chances of living a long life!’
At that moment, Lin Changheng had a clear plan for his future.
...
「One month later.」
Mo Zhaoli paid another visit to Outer Lake Cave Mansion No. 98.
She had come to purchase some restorative and healing Tier Two Elixirs from Lin Changheng.
Such Elixirs and their Pill Formulas were normally hard to come by, but there was a constant stream of people seeking his services who offered formulas as gifts.
Lin Changheng’s collection had now become frighteningly extensive; he possessed over twenty different Tier Two Lower Grade Pill Formulas alone.
They covered a wide range of uses and elemental attributes, leaving almost no gaps in his repertoire.
The elixir Lin Changheng used for his own Cultivation was also selected from this collection—an exceptionally good Tier Two Fire Element Elixir called the Flowing Fire Gathering Essence Pill. It could aid his Cultivation and advance his progress while also solidifying his foundation.
Moreover, it was worth noting that Lin Changheng’s status had risen, and acquiring pills from him had become even more difficult than before.
Unless it was a request from a good friend, a referral from an acquaintance, a tempting offer of benefits, or an interesting Pill Formula, it was now exceedingly difficult to even get an audience with Lin Changheng, let alone ask him for pills.
"What’s wrong? Did the extermination mission not go smoothly?"
Seeing that Mo Zhaoli seemed a little unwell, Lin Changheng took out several spare healing and recovery elixirs, handing them to her as he asked with concern.
"You’re right. This Demon Sect has been hidden for a long time. They actually had two Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators, one of whom is even approaching the Late Stage! The seven of us Early Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators snuck close to launch a surprise attack, but when those two appeared, we suffered a major setback."
Mo Zhaoli’s brow furrowed slightly. She hadn’t expected this either.
"A sneak attack? Middle Stage Foundation Establishment?"
Lin Changheng was also surprised. ’I approve of the sneak attack, though,’ he thought. ’They’re already irreconcilable enemies, so why bother with some noble, open encirclement? In a battle of life and death, you should use any means necessary!’
’But what’s more surprising is that these sewer rats, who don’t even dare to show their faces, could actually produce Middle Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. Two of them, no less! It’s incredible. Could an external power be deliberately propping them up?’
"Indeed."
Mo Zhaoli nodded. "Fortunately, I was only lightly injured. It’s not a major problem."
"Did any of the Sect Cultivators perish?"
Lin Changheng asked curiously.
"No, but two of our Fellow Daoists at Early Stage Foundation Establishment were targeted by the two Demon Cultivators. They were singled out and relentlessly attacked, suffering heavy injuries in the end. They’re now recuperating at the Sect’s garrison inside the Immortal City."
A hint of lingering fear crossed Mo Zhaoli’s face. Those Demon Cultivators were truly insane. Even while being besieged, their objective was clear: to focus all their attacks on a single person.
If she had been the one targeted, she feared she wouldn’t have gotten off any better and would have been just as severely injured.
"I see. I don’t know either of them, do I? Otherwise, I should pay them a visit to offer my sympathies."
Lin Changheng said, a glint in his eyes.
"No," Mo Zhaoli said, shaking her head.
’No one...’
Lin Changheng sneered inwardly. ’Looks like Senior Brother Feng got lucky.’ He then began to subtly probe about their next move, "Is the Purple Extreme Sect going to send more Middle Stage, or even Late Stage, Cultivators to hunt down the demons?"
"Yes."
Since it didn’t involve any fundamental secrets, and because she trusted Lin Changheng, Mo Zhaoli didn’t hide the details. "But to prevent the Demon Cultivators from striking once and then escaping, we’ll be taking turns to monitor their movements..."