Stronger with Crimson Modifier

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have paid such a hefty price to invite the Celestial Righteous Institute and Jue’an Temple for assistance.

Normally, very few people should have known about this.

Yet now, it was causing a huge stir.

He couldn’t help but suspect that the Celestial Righteous Institute and Jue’an Temple were fanning the flames behind the scenes.

After all, their share was merely a few people facing their tribulations. While they were monstrous geniuses compared to ordinary cultivators, they were nothing compared to an "Immortal seedling" like Wang Zhiyuan. It was inevitable they would feel some resentment.

But what’s done was done.

He could only swallow this bitter pill in silence.

As long as Wang Zhiyuan succeeded in his tribulation and achieved Ascension to Immortality, every sacrifice would be worth it.

Then, not only would Taiqing Palace gain an Immortal,

but it would also reap a great deal of providence.

With the blessing of that providence,

their own chances of successfully Crossing the Immortal Tribulation would increase dramatically.

It was a win-win situation.

...

As time went on,

members of the Demon Race began to gather one after another.

Many unfamiliar faces also began appearing in Tai Lake County.

These were cultivators who had rushed in from all over.

For them, snatching the Immortal Energy wasn’t the main goal.

What mattered was the chance to witness Immortal Energy with their own eyes and broaden their horizons.

It was an essential component for Ascension to Immortality.

More precious than any of the Treasures of Heaven and Earth in the world.

In an instant, Tai Ze Lake became the eye of the storm.

Over ninety percent of the Demon Saints in the Cangyuan Realm rushed to the scene.

As for demons from the Nascent Soul, Nascent Element, and Dao Foundation Realms, they were simply innumerable.

Among the Demon Race, aside from the Divinity Transformation Realm Great Saints, the others were not aiming for the Immortal Energy.

They knew full well that the Immortal Energy was far beyond their reach.

Their true target was the Dragon Transformation Spring.

They hoped to use it to obtain a True Dragon Bloodline.

Among the Demon Race, dragons possess an incomparably noble Bloodline and an exceptionally long Lifespan.

If they could obtain even a trace of True Dragon Bloodline, the benefits would be self-evident.

...

Above Tai Ze Lake, Demon Energy billowed into the sky.

The dense Demon Energy was so thick it even tinted the lake water black.

At the bottom of the lake, where the Swallow River Palace lay, a massive number of demons had already gathered, their forms as varied as one could imagine.

Hidden among them were also some cultivators, concealed by special Magic.

’So this is the Swallow River Palace?’

Wang Zhiyuan stood atop a large rock,

his gaze fixed on the enormous Swallow River Palace in the distance.

The Swallow River Palace was enclosed by a watery barrier. From a distance, it looked as if it were inside a giant bubble.

Wang Zhiyuan’s appearance had changed significantly.

His once-slender frame was now burly and robust. His muscles, clearly defined, bulged like solid rock, brimming with explosive power.

Gray fur covered his entire body.

His features had grown coarse, his nose high-bridged. The corners of his mouth were slightly parted, revealing sharp fangs and a feral air.

He now had the complete appearance of a Dao Foundation Realm wolf demon.

Jin Ling’Er, standing beside him, hadn’t changed as drastically.

Her body was merely adorned with a few fine, scaly patterns.

Her pupils had narrowed into needle-like slits, glinting with an amber luster.

Glancing around,

nearly all the surrounding demons were of the Dao Foundation Realm. They came in all shapes and sizes—some covered in scales, some with wings sprouting from their backs, and others with horns on their heads.

Among them were a good number of Nascent Element Realm Demon Kings.

Their auras were more potent, and the wide clearings around them made them extremely conspicuous.

As for the higher-level Nascent Soul Realm Demon Monarchs, or the even more powerful Divinity Transformation Realm Demon Saints, none had appeared here.

’Immortal Energy... I have to get my hands on it!’

The surrounding demons chattered noisily, but their clamor couldn’t conceal the tremor in Wang Zhiyuan’s heart.

As he stared at the Swallow River Palace, a strange glint flashed in his eyes, and his heart surged with emotion.

He had never imagined that Immortal Energy could actually be found here in Tai Ze Lake!

The Wang Zhiyuan of today was no longer the naive youth who had just stepped into the Cultivation Realm.

He knew full well how precious Immortal Energy was.

It was a Supreme Treasure from heaven and earth, something countless cultivators and demons coveted in their dreams.

An indispensable ingredient for Ascension to Immortality.

At this moment, he could clearly sense what felt like an indescribable connection, a fated bond, between himself and this wisp of Immortal Energy.

’This isn’t just my imagination.’

He’d had similar feelings before.

This wasn’t the first time since he’d begun his path of Cultivation.

And in the end, reality had always proven that his feelings were not mere delusion.

Each time, he had reaped handsome rewards.

And now,

he felt that this wisp of Immortal Energy was meant for him.

’I, Wang Zhiyuan, am destined to become an Immortal.’

That was what his master, Songling Zi, had told him.

And after three years of tempering himself, Wang Zhiyuan firmly believed it to be true.

At this thought, his gaze sharpened. He turned to Jin Ling’Er beside him and asked in a low voice,

"Where are those two brothers of yours now?"

Jin Ling’Er’s brow furrowed slightly, but she ultimately shook her head.

"I haven’t been able to contact them."

Hearing this, Wang Zhiyuan was somewhat disappointed.

He had originally hoped to use his connection with Jin Ling’Er to get help from her two brothers and see if they could sneak into the Swallow River Palace.

But that now seemed impossible.

Still, he didn’t dwell on it.

’Right now, the most important thing is the Immortal Energy,’ he thought. ’It must be mine! Everything else can wait.’

Besides, he had already successfully broken through to the Nascent Soul Transformation Realm, and his power had soared.

Combined with the Taiqing Palace’s Supreme Treasure, the Demon-slaying Sword, and the many other trump cards he possessed, an ordinary Nascent Soul Realm expert would not necessarily be his match.

He might even be able to put up a fight against someone in the Divinity Transformation Realm.

Not having the help of Jin Ling’Er’s brothers wasn’t a major setback for him.

...

"You... You’re not the River-Devouring Demon Monarch! Divinity Transformation Ninth Layer?! Who in the world are you?!"

Inside the grand hall of the Swallow River Palace, eleven figures lay sprawled on the floor, their faces ashen.

These were the Nascent Soul Realm Demon Monarchs who had infiltrated the palace. Among them were even three powerful Demon Saints who had reached the Divinity Transformation Realm.

Now, they all lay paralyzed and helpless on the ground, unable to move a muscle.

The one who had spoken was a Divinity Transformation Fifth Layer Demon Saint. It had a pair of golden wings on its back; its true form was a Golden Roc with a unique Bloodline, and its power was extraordinary.

Despite being only at the Divinity Transformation Fifth Layer, its astonishing speed made it difficult for even a Divinity Transformation Peak expert to catch.

Yet now, its face was dark, one of its wings was broken, and it was in a wretched state.

They were enveloped by a layer of black Profound Yin Heavy Water. No matter what methods they tried, they couldn’t break through the thin film of water.

THWUMP!

Just then,

another Nascent Soul Realm Demon Monarch broke through the Swallow River Palace’s restrictive seals and stepped into the hall.

However, before it could even get a clear look at the situation, its body went limp, and it collapsed to its knees.

When its gaze swept over the figures lying on the ground and fell upon the three Demon Saints, the Demon Monarch’s face filled with horror, and its body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"I... I..."

It tried to say something,

but Hu Qi, seated high on his throne, couldn’t be bothered to waste words on these ants.

WHOOSH!

The water rippled.

A massive black serpent’s shadow flickered, and the nine Demon Monarchs and three Demon Saints on the floor vanished without a trace.

Modification Point +312 (67%)

Modification Point +536 (23%)

...

Lines of Crimson text appeared before Hu Qi’s eyes.

Seeing this, a smile touched Hu Qi’s lips.

He had, of course, deliberately leaked the news about the Dragon Transformation Spring and the Immortal Energy.

His goal was to lure them in and ’enforce the law’—a harvest of Modification Points.

Sensing the auras that were gradually congregating around the Swallow River Palace and the vicinity of Tai Ze Lake,

Hu Qi’s eyes transformed into Crimson, slitted serpent pupils.

"This saves me the trouble of hunting them down one by one!"

With that thought, he closed his eyes.

Time ticked by, second by second.

Every so often, another Demon Monarch at the Nascent Soul Realm would enter the hall.

The moment they did, however, he would devour them whole.

With his current power, he had no equal in this world, save for true Immortals.

These terrifyingly powerful Demon Monarchs, and even the Demon Saints, were nothing more than delectable meals to him.

They posed no threat to him whatsoever.

Soon, an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly, Hu Qi, who had been sitting serenely upon his throne, seemed to sense something amiss.

His eyes snapped open, his gaze shooting in a specific direction.

In that very instant!

HUMMM!

The bottom of Tai Ze Lake began to tremble violently. The surrounding water churned, sending out concentric ripples.

A subtle but immense pressure suddenly descended.

Then,

several miles from the Swallow River Palace, a deep trench in the lakebed suddenly split apart.

When the fissure widened to a certain point,

a dazzling golden light erupted from within. It pierced through thousands of feet of water, broke through the surface, and shot straight toward the heavens.

ROAR!!!

At the same time, the spectral image of a Golden Dragon materialized in the sky, tilting its head back to let out a furious roar.

The dragon’s cry was piercing and sorrowful, as if filled with infinite vicissitudes and lament.

Seeing this, every cultivator and demon present was visibly shaken, their eyes filled with a mixture of awe and avarice.

"The Dragon Transformation Spring has appeared!"

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