"You truly wish to learn such a Forbidden Art?"
Seeing the excitement in Lü Yang's eyes, Wang Bairong was taken aback. "Junior Brother, on the immortal path, realm is paramount. You must understand your priorities."
In his view, Lü Yang had amassed so many contribution points at a young age. Even if he never formed his Foundation, reaching the peak of Qi Refining was probable. Why risk those crippling side effects for combat power? What did supreme battle prowess matter if you were just a handful of dust when your lifespan ended?
"Life is fleeting. Do not ruin yours." Wang Bairong's face clouded with sorrow. "You're still young. Flowers may bloom anew, but youth does not return. You are in your prime now, but what of ten years hence? Twenty?"
"The choice you make today may satisfy you now, but the price may only reveal itself decades later, with no path of return."
Before he finished, Wang Bairong seemed lost in memory again. After a long silence, he sighed. "You wouldn't know. In my youth, I had great prestige within the Holy Sect. One misstep… ruined it all. To this day, the thought of it is an agony."
As he spoke, his eyes reddened. Under the wine's influence, he pulled Lü Yang close and began recounting his glorious past.
It was a common tale: in his youth, he failed to grasp the critical importance of Qi quality. He carelessly cultivated a technique below the seventh grade. The result? His foundational Qi was too inferior, forever barring him from Foundation Establishment and the perfect Qi Refining stage.
For decades, half his life buried, while former junior brothers and the women he once admired lived on, their youth preserved.
What regret! What heartache! But who gets to live their life twice?
"What? I can live twice? Well, that's fine then."
Seeing Wang Bairong finally pass out drunk, Lü Yang stood up. Following the elder's earlier description, he found the manual: "Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Divine Light".
It was, unmistakably, a Demonic Art.
Lü Yang exchanged for it, his expression solemn. "Quick mastery, severe side effects, high lethality—it possesses nearly every hallmark of the demonic path."
To master this divine ability, one must first select a magical artifact. Then, using that very artifact, flay oneself alive. Using a secret method, refine the skin over eighty-one days to forge a Blood Transformation Divine Light attached to the artifact. A mere graze from it could maim or kill a common cultivator.
"Simultaneously, I myself would become a Blood Shadow, existing only through the artifact. As long as the artifact remains unbroken, the shadow does not perish."
"The side effect is a halved lifespan. Once transformed into a Blood Shadow, the human body is lost, leaving only a human form. Cultivation progress ceases entirely."
"Good. Excellent. It suits me perfectly."
Lü Yang's eyes shone. He decided immediately to cultivate this art.
During his study, he discovered an alternate version, seemingly modified and optimized by a great cultivator.
"After all, this art is truly extraordinary." The modified version did not require self-flaying and blood sacrifice. Instead, it demanded the sacrifice of one's blood brothers or direct descendants.
"This way, one can still cultivate the art. However, since the Blood Shadow forged is not of oneself, control is difficult and backlash is a risk. But I am different. Whether in this life or the next, the Blood Shadow will only ever be me."
Several days later, Lü Yang left the library. He also purchased the complete "Divine Firmament Sword Control True Method", so he could use it openly in the future.
The next day, the "technique" arrived.
"Demon!"
Looking at Yun Miaoqing, who clutched a magic sword to her own neck, glaring at him defiantly, Lü Yang felt a strange sense of déjà vu. He brushed it aside quickly.
"My apologies. I need the method and experience for refining Sword Pills."
"What? How do you know… Mph—! Wait!"
Practice makes perfect. Relying on his deep familiarity with Yun Miaoqing, Lü Yang went all out and swiftly obtained the necessary knowledge and experience from her.
Pulling up his trousers, Lü Yang turned and left.
This time, he went to Myriad Treasures Peak—the inner sect counterpart to the outer sect's Artifact Refining Hall, one of the four great inner peaks, and the origin of most of the Holy Sect's magic treasures.
"I wish to rent an Earthfire Furnace."
At the counter, Lü Yang stated his request directly. After paying a considerable sum of contribution points, he was led to the highest-grade furnace room a quarter of an hour later.
After thorough preparation, he laid out the materials: three ounces of Gold Essence, three ounces of Jade Marrow, two ounces of Cinnabar Sand, and two ounces of Sword Qi. He formed a seal, drew up the subterranean fire, and threw it all into the furnace!
"Most Sword Pills from the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion are forged by the sect's elders. That's the righteous path, so there's little worry of tampering. This is the Primordial Holy Sect. Rather than rely on a forger's character, I'd rather do it myself. At worst, I try a few more times."
One set of materials cost 2,000 contribution points. Lü Yang's total of 10,000 points, after buying the forbidden art and repaying debts, could only purchase three sets of Sword Pill materials.
"If I fail three times, I'll just try again in the next life!"
With this resolve, Lü Yang began strictly following the methods and experience learned from Yun Miaoqing, controlling the earthfire to slowly fuse the materials.
Gold Essence merged with Jade Marrow. Cinnabar combined with Sword Qi.
Gradually, a pill form took shape in Lü Yang's spiritual sense. But before joy could rise, the pill quivered violently.
Boom!
It exploded.
The first set was ruined. Lü Yang calmly swept away the debris with his sleeve, silently reviewing the lessons.
"My procedure was correct. The fault lies in the final step."
Searching Yun Miaoqing's memories, understanding dawned. "Refining a Sword Pill requires Unity of Sword and Heart. My cultivation of the Divine Firmament Sword Control Method is too brief. My swordsmanship attainment is clearly insufficient."
Theoretically, this was a hard requirement, achievable only through slow accumulation.
But that was from the righteous perspective, which emphasized gradual progress and disdained shortcuts that harmed one's foundation.
The demonic path played by different rules.
"Unity of Sword and Heart is, ultimately, about controlling the Sword Pill. If I cultivate the Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Divine Light simultaneously, the effect should be identical!"
"Even better!"
After all, the Divine Light was a sacrifice of flesh to the treasure. Mastery meant near-complete fusion with the artifact. The compatibility would far surpass mere "Unity of Sword and Heart."
"However, to achieve this… the anesthetic I prepared is useless."
Refining a Sword Pill was a delicate task. Numbing his senses would slow his reactions, making failure likely. He needed to remain fully conscious throughout.
"The demonic path, in the end, demands ruthlessness—especially toward oneself. Otherwise, how can one be considered a true talent?"
A ruthless glint flashed in Lü Yang's eyes.
A moment later, he sat upright before the roaring earthfire furnace, stuffed a rag into his mouth, and waited for the Sword Pill materials to coalesce once more.
Then, he willed a strand of Sword Qi to descend—upon his own flesh.