Chapter 312: Secret Realm Shocking Transformation! Shape-shifting Sinister Spirit Beast King!
Sea Abyss City.
During these two months, Lin Changan had rarely been in such a relaxed mood, almost strolling through the entire Sea Abyss City.
The prosperity of this place opened Lin Changan’s eyes; all kinds of resources were practically available.
He even saw materials unique to the Seven Kingdoms.
During this period, he also attended a Core Formation Cultivator trading gathering.
It had to be said that the quality of Core Formation Cultivators in Sea Abyss City far surpassed those in remote sea regions.
At the trading gathering alone, he saw several cultivators in the mid and late Core Formation stages.
During that time, he also changed identities and purchased quite a lot of cultivation materials, nearly emptying his entire savings.
“Especially this Third-rank High-grade Spirit Brush!”
Standing on the Spirit Vessel, Lin Changan lowered his head and looked at the gilded Spirit Brush in his hand.
At the tip of the brush was a cluster of delicate hairs shimmering with spiritual light—these came from the softest and most precious fur of a peak late-stage Third-rank great demon.
He had obtained it only after spending a mid-grade Third-rank Sinister Spirit Demon Core plus tens of thousands of Spirit Stones.
“The materials are almost fully collected. This trip yielded quite a harvest—three Pill Formulas purchased and several Artifact Refinement formulas as well.”
With a satisfied smile, Lin Changan watched as the Spirit Vessel of Xuanyin Pavilion slowly set sail.
This journey to Sea Abyss City had been extremely rewarding, though it also significantly reduced the huge wealth he carried.
Ordinary Core Formation Cultivators lacked so many resources; if they came here, they could only stare helplessly.
“After returning, I should refine pills to improve my cultivation and break through to the mid Core Formation stage as soon as possible.”
At that thought, Lin Changan narrowed his eyes and looked at another wine formula in his palm.
This item was expensive, but worth the price.
Aside from the Spirit Brush, it was the most costly thing he bought during this trip.
Ice Marrow Jade Liquid Spirit Wine—its cultivation-enhancing effect depended entirely on the brewing materials, especially the main ingredients.
“This wine formula contains the principle of mutual generation and restraint of the Five Elements. Using Demon Cores as the main ingredient, and paired with my Wood-attribute cultivation method, it is the best way to enhance cultivation.
Specifically, Spirit Wine brewed with Water-attribute Demon Cores as the primary material can achieve the effect of Water nourishing Wood.”
Although the wine formula looked simple, it contained the principles of Five Elements generation, giving Lin Changan deep insight.
Wood was the beginning of the Five Elements.
Water was the end of the Five Elements.
“This Spirit Wine, due to the transformation of Demon Core essence, is fierce and domineering in effect. Ordinary cultivators must consume it with great caution!”
Looking at the record in the formula, Lin Changan revealed a strange expression.
Fierce and domineering?
In plain terms, it meant that Spirit Wine brewed from Demon Core essence was too powerful for ordinary cultivators to withstand and had to be consumed slowly.
But his Regenerative Body, combined with body cultivation, gave him a physique no weaker than demon beasts. This was practically tailor-made for him.
“However, this wine formula does carry some traces of the demonic path.”
Although it did not say it directly, it vaguely mentioned that the Golden Core of human Core Formation Cultivators could also be used to brew wine.
Especially Golden Cores of cultivators practicing similar cultivation methods—even Nascent Souls—would produce even better results.
“The Beast Sea Abyss truly deserves its other name—the Sea of Ten Thousand Demons!”
Lin Changan shook his head inwardly.
Compared with pills, the advantage of this Spirit Wine for enhancing cultivation lay in the nourishment method of the Five Elements, which had no side effects.
But its disadvantages were equally obvious: it was extremely expensive to refine, and cultivators had to drink and refine it over a long period.
However, for him, the thousand-year Spirit Medicine required for refining Third-rank cultivation-enhancing pills was far harder to obtain than Demon Cores.
After all, this was the Beast Sea Abyss, where Water-attribute Demon Cores were abundant.
This trip to Sea Abyss City had been uneventful—no twists and no auction participation.
At his level of cultivation, the high-grade spirit items he purchased were mostly exchanged item-for-item rather than traded with Spirit Stones at auctions.
……
While Lin Changan was returning aboard the Spirit Vessel, turmoil suddenly erupted within the Secret Realm at the border of the Five Dragon Island Sea Region.
Under the shrouding sinister mist, rumbling sounds suddenly emerged from inside the restricted barrier of the Secret Realm.
The ghostly mist leaking out grew increasingly dense, faintly carrying shouts and howls.
“Not good—it’s a shape-shifting ghost cultivator!”
“Run!”
Core Formation Cultivators who were normally lofty and powerful now fled the Secret Realm in panic.
Colorful escape lights streaked through the sky like desperate fugitives.
As the restricted barrier shattered, a sharp scream suddenly echoed between heaven and earth.
“Jie jie! This damned restriction has finally been broken!”
A terrifying ghost cultivator aura at the peak of the mid Nascent Soul stage swept out.
A ferocious sinister spirit giant beast stretched out its claws and tore open the restriction barrier.
Inside the barrier, Core Formation Cultivators from several factions coughed blood while fleeing in anger.
“Damn it! There’s actually a mid Nascent Soul peak shape-shifting ghost cultivator!”
“Mystic Yin Old Ghost, you shameless bastard! If you hadn’t descended through possession onto your disciple, this monster would never have been released!”
“Sect Master Xiong, such arrogance! If you people hadn’t gone too far in bullying others, would I have used the possession technique?”
As the barrier broke, several cultivators with extremely strange auras appeared.
They clearly emitted Nascent Soul auras but could not exert the full strength of Nascent Soul Cultivators.
A closer look revealed that they were all infamous Nascent Soul old monsters of the Beast Sea Abyss.
“Enough arguing. That shape-shifting ghost cultivator is still bound by soul chains—let’s escape quickly.”
Everyone snorted coldly.
This possession technique was not easy to perform—it required either blood relatives or cultivators of the same cultivation method.
They also had to split off a strand of divine sense. If the possessed body died, their divine sense would suffer damage.
“Roar!”
At that moment, the ferocious sinister spirit beast behind them revealed blood-red eyes and let out a piercing ghostly howl.
Where the howl passed, there was no audible sound, yet to cultivators with divine sense it sounded like a soul-seizing cry.
“Not good!”
These Nascent Soul cultivators in possessed bodies turned pale.
Because they had ventured too deep into the restricted Secret Realm, they ended up at the rear during the escape.
The soul-attacking ghostly howl instantly turned their faces pale.
Some Nascent Soul cultivators who were not skilled in soul techniques had bloodshot eyes and let out unwilling screams.
“Damn it! This isn’t over!”
“Cursed ghost cultivator!”
Under miserable screams, the possessed divine senses of several Nascent Soul cultivators collapsed.
The pain was beyond description.
More importantly, those who could be possessed were either their direct disciples or blood descendants.
After losing the protection of the possessing divine sense, they screamed in agony and fell into the sea.
Only two possessed Nascent Soul cultivators skilled in escape techniques and protected by soul treasures managed to flee, burning most of the body’s blood essence.
As for the Core Formation Cultivators farther away, they were even less fortunate.
Under the piercing ghost howl, their eyes turned dull, and they fell into the sea one after another.
From the cracks of the barrier, countless sinister spirits poured out and greedily pounced on them.
Flesh and souls were devoured, turning into nourishment for the sinister spirits.
Only a few Core Formation Cultivators protected by treasures—who had not yet entered the Secret Realm and were far away—burned their blood essence and fled in terror.
The moment this incident occurred, the Nascent Soul cultivators who had plotted this operation were scattered—some in closed-door cultivation, others traveling outside.
When the strands of divine sense they had split off were violently shattered, their faces turned pale and blood spurted from their mouths.
Their eyes widened in furious rage.
The sudden upheaval in the Secret Realm alarmed cultivators across nearby sea regions.
Especially those who were still far away and preparing to go there—they retreated in terror.
Within the raging ghost mist, a ferocious tiger-headed humanoid ghost cultivator roared, making the entire sea region tremble.
Far away, at the outer region of the Five Dragon Island Sea Region—
“S-Sixth Elder… this is a shape-shifting Nascent Soul realm Sinister Spirit Beast King!”
The Core Formation Cultivators of the Enforcement Hall were pale and terrified as they stared at the distant scene.
But the Sixth Elder, a Nascent Soul early-stage cultivator, curved his lips into a faint smile.
“You old ghosts plotted and coveted the treasures of the Sinister Soul Sect within the Secret Realm. Suffering such a great loss this time should teach you a lesson.”
“Though it’s somewhat unfortunate—the shape-shifting Sinister Spirit Beast King broke the restriction so quickly. The restriction must have deteriorated badly over the years.”
The Sixth Elder even felt some regret.
If it had been delayed a bit longer and lured a few old fellows inside personally, facing a mid Fourth-rank shape-shifting Sinister Spirit Beast King would have been interesting.
So-called sinister spirits were actually the souls of cultivators or demon beasts that lingered after death and, by chance, formed new life in places filled with Yin energy.
However, low-level sinister spirits possessed low intelligence.
Even Third-rank sinister spirits only had primitive beastlike awareness.
Only at the Fourth rank could they develop intelligence and awaken memories of their previous lives.
Although they retained all memories of their former life, they were completely different from their former selves and could be considered entirely new life forms.
And they held grudges extremely deeply.
Those were their flaws.
Their advantage, however, was longevity.
“You youngsters have lived too comfortably these past few centuries. You lack even this bit of experience.”
Seeing the terrified expressions behind him, the Sixth Elder calmly shook his head.
“Please forgive us, Elder. We fear this shape-shifting Sinister Spirit Beast King might retaliate against the surrounding sea regions.”
After all, several sea regions under the jurisdiction of Bihai Palace lay nearby.
If a merciless Sinister Spirit Beast King sought revenge, no one could stop it.
But the Sixth Elder simply smiled.
“Don’t worry. That Sinister Spirit Beast King can only stay on that island for the rest of its life. It cannot leave.”
With the powerful divine sense of a Nascent Soul cultivator, he clearly saw the beast’s ferocious roar.
Its terrifying aura was fused with the Yin Vein Spiritual Spring and the spiritual veins of the massive spirit island.
Seeing this, the Sixth Elder secretly sighed in relief.
“The Second Palace Master truly had foresight. Back then he leaked the information about a Sinister Spirit Beast King to the Sinister Soul Sect and destroyed what was once one of the Twenty-four Zhenhai Sects.”
“That sect had thousands of years of foundation and two Nascent Soul cultivators—yet it was wiped out.”
Although the First Palace Master of Bihai Palace possessed the strongest combat power in the Beast Sea Abyss and was normally as imposing as heavenly might, in truth they feared the Second Palace Master even more.
The Second Palace Master seemed gentle, but his methods were extremely ruthless.
The Sixth Elder knew the truth behind the destruction of the Sinister Soul Sect.
“But you of the Sinister Soul Sect did achieve your goal, didn’t you?”
He sneered mockingly.
The Sinister Soul Sect had been greedy—they wanted to suppress a shape-shifting Sinister Spirit Beast King as their sect guardian spirit.
In the end, they failed to withstand the backlash of the beast.
Their entire sect and island became a ghost island.
……
The shocking upheaval of the Sinister Soul Sect Secret Realm spread across the Beast Sea Abyss like a hurricane.
Countless cultivators were shocked and furious.
Especially several Nascent Soul demonic cultivators who had suffered losses—they gnashed their teeth in hatred.
However, Bihai Palace struck first and publicly condemned them.
They accused those Nascent Soul demonic cultivators of using possession techniques through their disciples to greedily seize the inheritance of the Sinister Soul Sect, causing the disaster.
This righteous condemnation made countless rogue cultivators see the reckless nature of demonic cultivators.
Those Nascent Soul demonic cultivators were extremely aggrieved.
Being blamed was nothing—but the huge loss made them furious.
They absolutely did not believe Bihai Palace had nothing to do with this.
When Lin Changan returned aboard the Spirit Vessel, the Five Dragon Island Sea Region had already undergone a massive change.
He was left completely shocked.
“You mean the Secret Realm’s upheaval has turned it into a ghost domain?”
“Elder, according to rumors, the Fourth-rank shape-shifting Sinister Spirit Beast King is somehow connected with the Yin Vein aura of the Sinister Soul Sect’s island.
It cannot leave the spiritual veins too far, otherwise its strength will continuously decline…”
Before the Spirit Vessel even reached the Five Dragon Island Sea Region, Xuanyin Pavilion cultivators arrived to intercept them and redirected their route.
“It’s trapped on Sinister Soul Island, which has already become a ghost domain. And there are quite a number of Core Formation sinister spirits…”
Hearing this shocking news, Lin Changan was initially stunned.
But then deep worry appeared in his eyes.
With such heavy casualties… what about Yun Yao?
Please don’t let anything happen to her!
He had never expected that such a huge change would occur during his short trip.
“Master!”
Behind him, the Sword Attendant noticed his concern and frowned.
Lin Changan took a deep breath.
Two Voice-recording Talismans appeared in his hand.
He repeatedly sent voice transmissions to Yun Yao’s talisman—but there was no response.
On the other hand, Hu Jin’s talisman replied after only a short time.
“Old Lin, you finally came back! You have no idea how lucky you were not being on Five Dragon Island this time.
I saw the whole scene with my own eyes!
Thousands of Foundation Establishment Cultivators and nearly a hundred Core Formation Cultivators entered—and none came out alive.
It was absolutely tragic! That sea region is completely a ghost domain now…”
Hu Jin’s exaggerated voice echoed from the Voice-recording Talisman.
Lin Changan, however, could not smile.
He remained silent.
Yun Yao!
Hopefully the Voice-recording Talisman simply hadn’t reached her because of the distance.
……
On Mystic Yin Island, filled with Yin energy.
The face of Mystic Yin Old Ancestor was gloomy as he let out a sinister cold laugh.
“Good! Very good! Bihai Palace, this isn’t over!
Everyone else suffered losses, yet only your Bihai Palace remained unharmed.
In less than a hundred years that place will open.
We will settle this debt then!”
This time the Mystic Yin Divine Sect had suffered heavy losses—all elites.
It would be impossible not to feel pain.