"The second ability of the Demonic Immortal Body is truly heaven-defying; it’s completely unexpected," Chu Yuan marveled to himself.
Just moments ago, after consuming the Demon Burning Pill, the negative side effects were indeed transferred to that disciple of the Qingyun Sect. The result was that while in the heat of battle, the disciple's vital energy suddenly collapsed, and he fell into a dead faint.
However, Chu Yuan had yet to determine the upper limit of this ability to transfer negative effects. As of now, he could only project one person onto his mirror at a time. Once projected, any negative effects he suffered would be transferred to that individual. There appeared to be no cap on the severity of the negative effects or the amount of damage that could be transferred.
If that was truly the case, Chu Yuan could recklessly practice those demonic arts—such as the ones he had seen before that burned life force to boost one’s strength, or those that burned essence blood to enhance attributes. Wouldn't that mean he could enjoy the benefits without having to bear the costs himself?
It was a pity that Chu Yuan didn't currently possess any manuals for such demonic arts. He would just have to wait until he joined a Demonic Sect. Surely, those places would be full of them!
For the next few days, Chu Yuan remained within the Ancient Sword Empire. Even though his whereabouts had been exposed, drawing countless cultivators to the region who hoped to kill him and trade his head for a reward from the Qingyun Sect, no one could find even a trace of him. With his cultivation at the Peak Heaven Realm, as long as he didn't actively court death, he was effectively invincible within the territory of the Ancient Sword Empire.
During these days, Chu Yuan thoroughly mastered the second ability of the Demonic Immortal Body. He could bind a target, and from that point on, all negative effects and damage he sustained would be transferred entirely to that target. Aside from the fact that he could only bind one target at a time for now, there were no other limitations! Furthermore, if the target could not withstand the transferred damage, they would simply die. This meant Chu Yuan could kill people silently and from a distance.
"This ability alone is enough to keep me in an invincible position!" he thought. "And I’ve only unlocked twenty percent of the Demonic Immortal Body’s potential..."
Chu Yuan began to look forward to the future. He could only imagine how heaven-defying the subsequent abilities would be.
Not long after, Chu Yuan entered a teleportation array bound for the Aurora Sacred Ground. The ancient ruins there were set to open very soon, with less than ten days remaining. Typically, the major powers would arrive a few days early, allowing the gifted prodigies of various sects to spar and gauge each other's strength. Demonic factions were certain to appear as well, and Chu Yuan intended to join their ranks openly.
Shortly after Chu Yuan departed, three figures arrived near the teleportation array. They were dressed like common rogue cultivators, but in reality, they were powerful Heaven Realm experts. These were none other than the Sect Master of the Wind God Sect and two of his elders. They had been tracking Chu Yuan, waiting for his cultivation to regress so they could join forces and kill him.
"Sect Master! We’ve completely lost him!"
"He disappeared the moment he entered the city. We’ve been searching for days and haven't found a single clue!"
"Hmph. Since he stole our invitation to the Wind God Sect, he will certainly show up when the ancient ruins open! We shall strike then. It’s no matter—those who possess invitations are generally people of status. You two keep a close eye on the crowd; if you see any suspicious young man, strike immediately!"
"Understood, Sect Master!"
The Sect Master of the Wind God Sect and his two elders immediately boarded the teleportation array and headed for the Aurora Sacred Ground.
***
Meanwhile, at the Qingyun Sect, the entire sect had grown deathly still, its spiritual energy depleted. The cause, naturally, was Jiang Fan. Ever since Jiang Fan had entered the sect's spiritual vein pool to cultivate over ten days ago, the source of the entire sect's spiritual energy had been severed. With no spiritual energy to support them, the cultivation speed of every disciple and elder had plummeted. They were forced to rely on spiritual stones just to scrape by, much like common rogue cultivators.
"Sect Master! The spiritual energy in every treasure land and blessed spot within the Qingyun Sect has been completely exhausted! If we don't start channeling energy from the spiritual vein pool again, the consequences will be unthinkable!"
"Sect Master, the leaves of the Qingyun Sacred Tree have been falling recently. The energy between heaven and earth is far too thin; it must be nourished by the energy from the spiritual vein pool!"
"Sect Master..."
"What is the rush!"
High above the great hall, Xiao Junmo looked on with impatience. She pointed a finger at the core elders below and scolded, "My disciple, Jiang Fan, is at a critical moment in his breakthrough! It hasn't even been a month. I ask you, what are you all so anxious about?"
The elders were silenced by her roar. Her holy aura was so vast and overwhelming that they dared not show the slightest intention of resistance.
"All of you, withdraw! Do not mention the subject of spiritual energy to me again!"
"If there is no energy released from the spiritual veins, can you not absorb it from your spiritual stones?"
"Sect Master, our reserves of spiritual stones are running low as well. If we distribute them for all the disciples to use, we will be forced to tap into our sect's foundation."
"Then use it! What is there to fear? Aren't spiritual stones meant to be used?" Xiao Junmo said, knitting her brows slightly.
Hearing this, the core elders hesitated before nodding and withdrawing. Xiao Junmo then turned and vanished from the spot, reappearing at the spiritual vein pool to check on Jiang Fan.
At this moment, Jiang Fan was already in the state of breaking through. His Dharma body had condensed and was merging with the world, preparing to step into the Heaven Realm. Xiao Junmo appeared soundlessly and, seeing Jiang Fan's current state, her face brightened. "It looks like the breakthrough is going smoothly. Stepping into the Heaven Realm is a certainty!"
Suddenly, Jiang Fan's tightly furrowed brows smoothed out. "Breakthrough successful!" he exclaimed as he awakened. His aura surged, rising rapidly like a rising tide.
Xiao Junmo was overjoyed to feel this intensity. Having just broken through to the Heaven Realm, Jiang Fan's aura was already comparable to a cultivator at the second or even third level of the Heaven Realm! Such a foundation was not inferior to any of the top-tier prodigies.
But the next moment, Jiang Fan's brows furrowed again. A terrifying force of backlash erupted, instantly shattering his foundation with a deep crack!
*Boom!!!*
*Pfft!*
Caught off guard, Jiang Fan spat out a mouthful of golden blood, and his body let out a wail that sounded like the roar of a dragon!
"How is this possible? I, Jiang Fan... have failed my breakthrough!?"
Jiang Fan found it impossible to believe. His breakthrough to the Heaven Realm had failed, and his cultivation had regressed back to the eighth level of the Earth Realm!
"How could this happen? My foundation was incomparably thick! Even if I rushed to the ninth level of the Earth Realm and then directly challenged the Heaven Realm in a short time, it should have been a secure success!"
"How could I fail? No! I don't believe it! Why did I fail?!"
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he let out a low, frustrated growl.
Beside him, Xiao Junmo stood stunned, her face blank. Even she had not expected Jiang Fan to fail his breakthrough and regress to the eighth level of the Earth Realm. If this were the case, how could Jiang Fan dominate the ancient ruins at the Aurora Sacred Ground in a few days' time?
According to the Qingyun Sect's intelligence network, several other major powers—and even the prodigies of certain noble families—had already successfully reached the Heaven Realm. Even if Jiang Fan were a monstrous talent, how could he overcome the gap of an entire realm to fight against other prodigies? Not to mention that among such elites, the gaps in strength were already quite narrow.
"Jiang Fan, how could you fail your breakthrough?"
"You have disappointed me greatly," Xiao Junmo said, her face filled with disappointment.