Chapter 463 - 338: First Place

Chapter 463: Chapter 338: First Place

"No...!!"

Wuya’s pupils constricted. In the next instant, his world plunged into eternal darkness. When the flames died down once more, Wuya’s figure had vanished completely, disintegrated into ash.

The world fell silent.

Yu Changsheng let out a soft breath, his expression placid as he looked toward the three people on the shore.

Wen Hanhai was silent. Qian Chengren managed a faint smile, cupping his fist in a salute to Yu Changsheng. He Bicheng, however, simply gave Yu Changsheng a single glance before turning and walking away without a word.

Wuya’s death crushed the last shred of hope in their hearts and brought the contest for the Celestial Slaughter Golden Lotus to its definitive conclusion.

"Fellow Daoist Changsheng, feel free to visit the Purple Rainbow Sect when you have the chance. Junior Brother Meng said he misses you dearly and looks forward to sharing some wine and catching up."

Wen Hanhai said with a nod, cupping his fist in another salute. A smile touched his eyes, but it was tinged with surprise.

"Of course. I appreciate Fellow Daoist Meng’s thoughts. I will certainly pay a visit when I find the time."

Yu Changsheng gave a slight nod. After this brief exchange, Wen Hanhai didn’t linger and turned to leave.

Qian Chengren, too, left with a wry smile and a cupped fist. Watching their retreating figures, Yu Changsheng made no move to stop them. After a moment, he simply shook his head, chose a direction, and flew off.

’Now, all that’s left is to wait for the Celestial Slaughter Secret Realm to end.’

Yu Changsheng exhaled, his gaze falling upon the changing information on his Evil Qi Token, a flicker in his eyes.

[First Place: Yu Changsheng (Wanxiang Sect), Evil Qi Points: 81,000]

[Second Place: Qiu Xing (Profound Yin Sect), Evil Qi Points: 46,000]

[Third Place: Yama (Profound Yin Sect), Evil Qi Points: 43,000]

...

After killing both Wuya and Chen Haolan, his Evil Qi Points had reached a staggering 81,000, far surpassing the second-place Qiu Xing.

’Barring any surprises, first place this time should be mine.’

After a moment of reflection, Yu Changsheng felt a sense of certainty and breathed a sigh of relief.

’The reward for first place is certainly tempting, but I already have the Celestial Slaughter Golden Lotus. That’s my greatest prize.’

A faint smile touched Yu Changsheng’s lips; he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

’Still, this is the Celestial Slaughter Secret Realm, the Profound Yin Sect’s domain. If I had really killed Qiu Xing and the others, it would have been difficult to answer to my own sect.’

’As for Yama... never mind. If he doesn’t cross me again, there’s no need for me to eliminate him completely.’

After these thoughts, Yu Changsheng flew onward until he found a secluded spot. There, he began to rest and recuperate, settling in to wait for the Secret Realm to close.

The Celestial Slaughter Secret Realm was open for a total of half a month. Once that time was up, the realm itself would naturally expel all outsiders. No one was permitted to remain.

Thirteen days had already passed. For the remaining two, Yu Changsheng had no intention of looking for more trouble. A peaceful wait was the best course of action.

However, these last two days were also the most turbulent period within the Celestial Slaughter Secret Realm. Yu Changsheng was far from the only one to notice the changes on the Celestial Slaughter List, and for the members of the Profound Yin Sect, the results were the hardest to accept.

This was especially true for Qiu Xing. Seeing Yu Changsheng holding fast to first place, his expression was as foul as if he’d eaten shit. The Celestial Slaughter Golden Lotus was lost, but the reward for first place was still excellent. He had thought it was a sure thing, yet this was how it had ended.

Frustrated and unwilling to accept defeat, he spent the final two days frantically fighting for more Evil Qi Points. He managed a significant increase, but he was still a long way from Yu Changsheng’s 81,000.

Furthermore, since fellow sect members in the top ten could not be killed and the other high-ranking cultivators were smart enough to hide from him, the final rankings were ultimately unchangeable.

As for Yu Changsheng, he spent these two days in a quiet, secluded place, carefully studying the Celestial Slaughter Golden Lotus.

The remaining half of the Celestial Slaughter Golden Lotus was no different from the half Yu Changsheng had already consumed. Perhaps because they shared the same origin, he could distinctly feel a potent, almost irresistible pull from it.

’The Celestial Slaughter Golden Lotus can enhance my physical body, Cultivation, and Divine Soul... And the Heavenly Dao Qi within it is the key to ascending to the Heavenly Dao Golden Core...’

Yu Changsheng mused, thoughtfully observing the incomplete half-strand of Qi that now enveloped his nascent Golden Core.

The stream of Qi vaguely resembled a dragon, but its form was not fixed, shifting constantly. It was pale red in color, exuding a faint hint of Blood Evil, yet it also radiated a golden light that made it appear sacred and noble, suffused with an inviolable Dao Rhyme.

It clung to his nascent Golden Core, constantly drifting and flowing around it while emitting an astonishing aura. Yet, upon careful inspection, it seemed to have no effect whatsoever.

The Profound Turtle materialized beside Yu Changsheng. Noticing his confusion, it explained in a deep voice, "Once you devour and absorb the remaining half of the Celestial Slaughter Golden Lotus, you will naturally discover its secrets. A Heavenly Dao Golden Core allows one to mobilize the power of heaven and earth to bolster oneself. As a result, its combat strength is far greater than that of an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator."

"However, a Heavenly Dao Golden Core itself is without attributes. The Heavenly Dao Qi, on the other hand, does have them. It’s a form of sublimation and specialization built upon the Golden Core’s foundation.

"To put it simply, a Heavenly Dao Golden Core makes you significantly stronger than other Cultivators of your generation in every aspect—be it your Cultivation, Divine Soul, endurance, or physical strength. It is a comprehensive enhancement."

"The Heavenly Dao Qi, in contrast, represents Mastery over a specific path or attribute. It is the pursuit and sublimation of that attribute, in some cases even touching upon the existence of the Dao and its Laws."

The Profound Turtle spoke slowly. Yu Changsheng listened, deep in thought, but he still had some lingering questions.

"This is all a bit abstruse for you right now. To put it simply, your greatest benefit is this: from what I can see, this strand of Heavenly Dao Qi is of the Celestial Fiend... representing Blood Evil. If you integrate it into your Golden Core and later decide to walk the path of Blood Evil, your journey will be far easier than an ordinary person’s."

"Moreover, you’ll be able to use the advantages of the Heavenly Dao Golden Core to maximize the properties of the Heavenly Dao Qi. In the future, with the boon of this Celestial Fiend Qi, any of your lethal techniques and Blood Evil arts will be astonishingly amplified. You’ll also develop an affinity for Blood Evil, allowing you to control Blood Evil Qi to a certain degree."

The Profound Turtle continued in its unhurried manner, a hint of amusement in its voice.

"If you wished, once you integrate the Celestial Fiend Qi, you would find cultivating the Profound Yin Sect’s techniques—or any Blood Skill, for that matter—to be incredibly effective. You’d achieve twice the results with half the effort and find them exceptionally easy to master."

"In fact, I suspect that old fellow Zhu Zhengping prepared this strand of Heavenly Dao Qi for his own disciples. He just never expected you to luck into it. Even though you don’t practice Blood Skills, it’s still immensely useful to you, and it will be of great benefit to your Red Purgatory Dragon."

The Profound Turtle chuckled, its gaze somewhat wistful. After listening quietly, Yu Changsheng’s pupils constricted slightly as he fell into thought.

"I see..."

Yu Changsheng murmured, slowly extending his hands to examine them. He then made a grasping motion in the empty air before him.

"Now that you mention it, things do feel a little different."

Yu Changsheng murmured thoughtfully, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

"The omnipresent Blood Evil Qi in this Celestial Slaughter Secret Realm... it really isn’t rejecting me anymore... In fact, if I sense it carefully, there’s even a feeling of kinship?"

Yu Changsheng waved his arm. After a moment’s thought, as he moved his arm again, the Blood Evil Qi in the immediate vicinity surged in accordance with his will.

Blood Evil Qi was omnipresent within the Celestial Slaughter Secret Realm, and its concentration on the third level was especially intense. This qi constantly eroded a person’s Divine Soul and physical body.

Those with insufficient Cultivation were naturally unable to resist it; with prolonged exposure, they would lose their sanity and become mindless fools.

Previously, Yu Changsheng had relied on his formidable Divine Soul and physical body to resist it. After adapting, he had barely noticed it, but the repulsive, erosive pressure had always been there.

But now, after absorbing half of the Celestial Slaughter Golden Lotus and reaching the Fake Pill stage, that erosive pressure had vanished. Yu Changsheng hadn’t even noticed its silent departure.