Chapter Fifty-Two: The Gap

“If you can’t devour it all at once, then take it slow.” Yuan Wuji activated the Nine Revolutions Profound Art, and within his body, the Ten Thousand Demons Golden Core and the Heavenly Gang Golden Core began to revolve together as he carefully absorbed the entwined Divine Dragon Soul.

The Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger Divine Power could grow stronger with increasingly powerful dragon and tiger souls. Previously, after absorbing the Imperial Dragon Soul, the divine power’s attacks bore the majesty of an emperor. If he could obtain the souls of nine divine dragons, his strength would undoubtedly rise to new heights. The weakness lay in the tiger soul, as he had yet to encounter any truly formidable tigers.

Yuan Wuji secretly drew out a strand of essence from the Divine Dragon Soul, and when he tried to take more at once, the soul’s fierce backlash forced him to desist.

By dawn, the absence of the dragon soul’s essence had left the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Shield dimmer than before.

“No wonder it’s an innate spiritual treasure,” Yuan Wuji murmured.

With only a small portion of the dragon soul absorbed, his mastery of the fire element had already reached ten percent. Having reached the Taiyi realm with the metal element, the next element to cultivate should naturally be earth. The five elements generate and restrain one another; earth begets metal, and cultivating the earth element would continuously nourish his metal element, allowing it to reach true perfection.

Ten percent completion was not the same as true perfection; only the latter marked genuine mastery. To achieve dual elemental perfection, three elements must reach ten percent, with one nourishing the next, so that the two elements can break through into the Taiyi True Immortal realm.

Unlike the normal path of metal, Yuan Wuji cultivated the Dao of Geng Metal. The Holy Mother of Metal Spirit had once told him that true gold fears no fire. Thus, for the Dao of Geng Metal, fire was the best choice for the second element; only through relentless tempering by fire could his metal attain true strength.

Within Blackmoon’s cave, Blackmoon was also tending to Blackcheng’s injuries.

“Steward, is Blackcheng going to be alright?” Cat Snow asked with deep concern.

“Naturally, there’s no problem,” Blackmoon replied, a sly glint in his eye. It was thanks to Blackmoon that Cat Snow was willing to stay by Blackcheng’s side.

Back then, Blackcheng’s injuries weren’t serious, but under Blackmoon’s manipulations, the situation took a different turn. Blackmoon proposed marriage to Cat Snow, and remembering how Blackcheng had shielded her from harm, she agreed.

“Be careful, Blackcheng,” Cat Snow said softly, helping Blackcheng, who was sitting cross-legged on a meditation mat.

Blackcheng, my nephew, this is the least your uncle can do for you.

Blackcheng’s current state, Blackmoon believed, was inseparable from his own actions. Guilt weighed heavily on his heart, and giving the cat demon to Blackcheng was a way to ease his remorse.

“Baisheng, why do you think your sister followed that fool?”

Yangta paced restlessly, revealing his inner turmoil.

“It’s your own fault, coward. You only cared about your safety and dared not rescue my sister. How dare you ask me that?” Tiger Baisheng snapped, sending Yangta flying with a slap.

“You bastard! How dare you hit me? Do you still want that magic treasure?” Yangta, sprawled on the ground, complained bitterly.

“This is as far as I can help you. Afterward, you must take me there,” Baisheng replied, tossing Yangta a pill that looked just like a Blood Cloud Pellet.

“Of course!” Yangta exclaimed in excitement upon receiving the pill.

Baisheng’s demon core was refined by Yuan Wuji’s Ten Thousand Demons Golden Core cultivation method and possessed some of its effects. The pill, crafted from Baisheng’s demon core, could temporarily boost strength, though at the cost of physical weakness. Inspired by the Blood Cloud Pellet, Baisheng named it the Blood Life Pill.

Yangta had tasted its power once before; the surge in strength was addictive enough to make him ignore the side effects.

Days passed swiftly. Yuan Wuji had gained much from the Divine Dragon Soul, and his mastery of fire had reached twenty percent.

According to the previous wager between Yangta and Blackcheng, today was their day of combat.

A massive arena was surrounded by countless demon soldiers eager for spectacle. Dog Vanguard and Hawk Vanguard were among them, their demonic cultivation now in the late core stage, thanks in no small part to the Blood Cloud Pellets bestowed by Yuan Wuji.

“Hawk, who do you think will win?” Dog asked.

“It doesn’t matter to us who wins. We just need to do our duty,” Hawk replied.

As the two conversed, Yangta and Blackcheng had already mounted the stage. Only Yuan Wuji, King Yurong, and Blackmoon sat in the stands—not because the seats were few, but because no demon dared approach.

Yuan Wuji hadn’t come out of interest in Yangta and Blackcheng’s duel, but rather to observe what was special about Tiger Baisheng now.

“Let’s see if you can surprise me,” Yuan Wuji mused. He knew the ambitions of men; favors offered always carried hidden bargains. Yuan Wuji had granted Baisheng his demon core two centuries ago, and Baisheng must have discovered something unique about it by now. This would only serve Yuan Wuji’s purposes.

Baisheng, now the referee, stood at the center of the arena.

“This match is to the death. Begin!”

At his words, Yangta and Blackcheng lunged at each other.

Both unleashed their full power. Though their cultivation was equal, Blackcheng quickly gained the upper hand. Not only did his true form suppress Yangta’s, but Blackmoon’s careful nurturing gave him an advantage Yangta could not match.

Even with half his primordial soul lost, Blackcheng’s soul attacks were beyond the reach of a minor demon like Yangta. In both body and magic, Blackcheng completely dominated.

It took only a few exchanges before Yangta was beaten into coughing blood.

With a pained scream, Yangta had his horns torn from his head by Blackcheng.

Desperate, Yangta pulled out a Blood Life Pill and swallowed it whole.

“What’s this…?” As soon as Yangta produced the pill, its peculiar aura caught Yuan Wuji’s attention. It seemed Baisheng hadn’t wasted the demon core given to him. Over the years, he’d made something of himself—which was all the better.

After consuming the Blood Life Pill, Yangta’s strength surged, and he began to mount a counterattack. Blackcheng was startled at first but quickly composed himself. Though his intelligence had diminished, his battle instincts remained sharp.

Even so, the pill could only push Yangta’s cultivation to the peak of the demon core stage; it was nowhere near enough to break through. Blackcheng, Blackmoon’s protégé, was just a step short of perfection, and defeating Yangta was only a matter of time.

But on the stage, Blackcheng seemed unwilling to let the fight drag on. Black whirlwinds coiled around his right arm, and in Yangta’s bloodshot gaze, his arm pierced straight through Yangta’s chest.

With a sickening sound, Blackcheng withdrew his arm, leaving a gaping hole in Yangta’s chest. His diminished intellect only made Blackcheng more prone to killing at the slightest instinct.

Just as Yangta was about to die on the stage, a familiar figure stepped in front of him.

“Baisheng, what do you think you’re doing?”