Chapter 1030: Chapter 440: Body Refining Breaks Through to Fourth Rank Upper Grade; Soaring Dragon Art Metamorphosis

The Moon God gently parted her vermilion lips, her voice still cool but now tinged with a touch of gravity: "Now with Ao Guang relying on the rules in the Outer Sea, coupled with these two, it has become an impregnable fortress."

"A full assault would be too costly, and the outcome is uncertain."

Although they were reluctant to admit it, the reality was clear. In a short time, attempting to crush the Outer Sea with force was almost impossible.

The Old Demon of Hehuan’s demonic eyes flickered, and he suddenly spoke: "If a direct attack won’t work, then we need a different method. I require a large amount of living dead energy, the more, the purer, the better."

"Living dead energy?"

The Star King’s gaze sharpened, "What do you need that for?"

A trace of eeriness appeared in the Old Demon of Hehuan’s eyes: "To open and stabilize the passage to my Sacred Realm."

"As long as the passage is stable enough, we can summon another powerful Divinity Transformation master from our clan to descend into this realm."

"By then, with four Divinity Transformation masters joining forces, no matter how Ao Guang is supported by rules, no matter how profound Xu Ping’s Sword Dao is, no matter how eerie that old ghost is, there would only be one path: annihilation!"

Another ancient demon of Divinity Transformation was coming.

Hearing this, the faces of the Star King and Moon God changed instantly, filled with heavy concerns and apprehensions.

They were confident they could still control and utilize one Old Demon of Hehuan with strength and strategy.

But should another ancient demon of the same rank, or even more powerful, arrive?

By then, in driving away wolves to swallow tigers, who could guarantee that this "tiger" wouldn’t turn on its masters?

They were well aware of the cunning and greed of ancient demons.

The situation could easily spiral out of control, even backfire, endangering their foundation in the Inner Sea.

The Old Demon of Hehuan saw the hesitation of the Dual Saints but didn’t rush them, waiting calmly and leisurely.

He knew well that for the Star Palace Saints, who had been stuck at the Early-Stage Divinity Transformation bottleneck for countless years and yearned to advance further, the temptation to ascend to the Upper Realm and break through to Mid-Stage Divinity Transformation was enough to override most risks.

Now that their path in the Outer Sea had been thwarted, if they wished to progress further, did they have any choice other than the "shortcut" offered by his ancient demon clan?

The hall fell into a long silence, broken only by the faint hum of the circulating Star Power.

The Star King and Moon God silently communicated, weighing the pros and cons, calculating the risks.

Ultimately, the desire for a higher realm and confidence in their ability to control their power overrode their dread of the ancient demons.

Shrouded in star brilliance, the Star King’s expression was unreadable, but his voice carried a decisive tone: "Agreed, but how to collect such a vast amount of living dead energy?"

The Old Demon of Hehuan let out a sinister laugh: "We don’t necessarily need to engage in a decisive battle right away. We can continually launch medium-scale raids and skirmishes, creating chaos and carnage." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"War doesn’t have to be decided in a single stroke.

"As long as it continues steadily, bit by bit, the living energy will naturally flow continuously."

"Moreover, this will keep the Outer Sea under constant pressure, leaving them too busy to focus elsewhere."

The Moon God said coolly: "Though slow, this approach is more covert and secure."

"Good!"

The Star King ultimately made the decision, "We’ll go with this plan. I’ll order continued harassment of the border. Demon King, the Array and support you need, the Star Palace will do its utmost to provide."

"Rest assured, as long as there is enough living energy, I can fulfill your wishes!" The Old Demon of Hehuan let out a strange laugh, and his demonic shadow slowly dissipated within the hall.

The Star King and Moon God exchanged a glance.

Though this move was dangerous, for that elusive Mid-Stage Divinity Transformation realm, they were willing to suppress all concerns and take another risky gamble.

...

Three months passed.

In the tense vigilance of the Outer Sea and occasional border skirmishes, time quietly slipped away.

On this day.

The envoy dispatched by the True Dragon Hall finally arrived and solemnly delivered the promised rewards from Dragon King Ao Guang into the hands of Xu Ping and the Nine Nether Elder.

After receiving the "Ten Thousand Years Underworld Soul Jade" and the "Yellow Springs Bianhua Petal," the Nine Nether Elder couldn’t wait to take his leave, seeking a place to seclude himself and absorb these two Ghostly Supreme Treasures.

Xu Ping also received his share.

A delicate jade bottle containing ten Dragon Eye-sized Dragon Essence Blood Tempering Pills, with dragon patterns swirling on the surface, emitting scorching vitality and pure Dragon Essence waves.

And a pigeon-sized Enlightenment Spirit Pearl, entirely lustrous white, cool to the touch, with flowing lights flickering within.

Then, without lingering, Xu Ping transformed into an Escape Light and sped towards Blood Bone Island.

Four months later.

A travel-worn Xu Ping returned to Blood Bone Island.

"Xu Lang!"

A graceful figure had been waiting outside the island for a long time, it was Duan Shuang.

Her beautiful eyes were filled with an indescribable mix of admiration, joy, and a touch of pride.

Although she hadn’t participated in the earth-shattering battle due to Xu Ping’s protection, his peerless reputation for opposing Divinity Transformation and unmatched Sword Dao had already spread like a storm throughout the Outer Sea.

The man before her was her Dao companion.

"Shuang’Er."

Xu Ping showed a warm smile and wrapped his arm around her slender waist.

After a brief moment of intimacy and recounting the emotions of their separation, Xu Ping returned to the underground cave dwelling.

He activated all restrictions, isolating it from the outside.

The cave dwelling fell silent again.

Sitting cross-legged on a mat, Xu Ping first directed his gaze toward the jade bottle.

He poured out a Dragon Essence Blood Tempering Pill.

The Pill was heavy in his hand, its entire body dark gold, with naturally formed dragon patterns that seemed to be slowly moving, and a surge of pure, domineering Dragon Yuan Qi Blood Power assaulted his senses.

"Such potent medicine!"

Xu Ping carefully sensed it, his eyes showing astonishment, "In terms of the grandeur and purity of vitality alone, it’s even slightly superior to mature Dragon Blood Fruit."

"Moreover, the essence of Dragon Yuan contained within is extremely high, having miraculous effects on enhancing Dragon Might."