Chapter 394: Chapter 203: The Rising Daluo and the Advancing Blood Cultivators (Part 2)

The originally pale and colorless surface of the palanquin slowly became covered with a layer of bluish-gray, as if it were plated with thick bronze metal. The flowing light surged, greatly enhancing the strength of the Five Ghosts Soul Lifting Palanquin itself.

The palanquin itself also seemed to have grown slightly larger after devouring a large number of cultivators’ divine souls, making it even more massive than before.

The Five Great Ghost Kings, being one of the main bodies of the Five Ghosts Soul Lifting Palanquin, gained great benefits and made a breakthrough past the peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage, with their momentum surging, only needing some time to settle.

It wasn’t impossible for the Five Great Ghost Kings to advance to the higher Purple Mansion Realm.

And behind the massive White Bone Palanquin, resentful souls were entwined on the soul detaining chains, baring their fangs and claws, silently roaring, occasionally appearing and disappearing in the air, emitting evil qi that deterred anyone from approaching.

Behind the soul detaining chains, each cultivator’s physical body was being locked. These cultivators, whose divine souls had been directly plundered by the chains, had undoubtedly become slaves controlled by the Five Ghosts Soul Lifting Palanquin, losing all awareness and becoming puppets to be manipulated at will.

It could be said that this war, or rather this massacre, filled certain deficiencies in the Five Ghosts Soul Lifting Palanquin itself.

This ghost artifact grew immensely, becoming a more powerful soul-suppressing object capable of instilling fear in opponents.

...

Meanwhile, Zheng Yi stood within the Incense Fire Dharma Realm, with the Little Five Elements Yin Yang Dao Embryo operating, surrounded by spirit stones piled like small mountains, turning into dust one by one.

He absorbed the Five Elements Primordial Qi that circulated between heaven and earth, black and white yin and yang qi swirling around him, the surging energy flowing throughout his body following the operation and arrangement of the dao embryo, unleashing further waves of magical power in his exhausted meridians.

Zheng Yi sat quietly, his divine soul emerging, revealing a shadow identical to himself.

The divine soul similarly sat atop his head, with endless mysterious fluctuations moving across the sky. The divine soul power consumed by the previous repeated use of the Immortal-Slaying Godslaying Gourd began a steady recovery.

Exhausted magical power, depleted divine soul, causing Zheng Yi’s headache to split.

This was the reason why Zheng Yi had left the battlefield even before the war had fully ended.

But now, as his bodily functions restored, the original headache was greatly relieved. The uncontrolled magical power and fluctuating aura gradually calmed down.

Time slipped away like this.

Soundlessly and silently, stepping steadily forward.

After a month, Zheng Yi finally opened his eyes.

In an instant, the flowing light shot from his eyes, transformed into a streak of lightning, vanishing into the boundless void.

Zheng Yi stood up, feeling the magical power and the divine soul within him, and his whole aura gradually calmed down.

He then extended his hand, revealing the Immortal-Slaying Godslaying Gourd in his palm.

The small Chaos Cyan Gourd still throbbed incessantly in his palm, emitting swirling yin and yang qi, appearing infinitely mysterious.

Yet on the surface of that Cyan Gourd, a cracked line was glaringly noticeable.

Although the surface began restoring its flowing light, with the glistening surface repaired to some extent, from the outside, that crack seemed partially mended.

However, Zheng Yi frowned, probing the gourd’s interior with his divine soul. As the master of the treasure, connected in essence, he could sense the damage within it.

Evidently, the little gourd’s essence had suffered a great loss, making it difficult to recover through ordinary means in a short time.

Repairing the scars on the Immortal-Slaying Godslaying Gourd would probably require a long period.

Though simply immersing it within his body and spending decades, the Immortal-Slaying Godslaying Gourd would certainly recover, the time required was too lengthy, and Zheng Yi couldn’t afford such a prolonged wait.

The remaining option was to seek other methods.

However, being a slaying treasure, the items capable of restoring the Chaos Cyan Gourd’s essence weren’t commonplace and weren’t easily found.

Zheng Yi could only slowly seek them out, first placing the Immortal-Slaying Godslaying Gourd within his dantian, nurturing it quietly with his own magical power for some time.

"The essence loss is severe, but fortunately, the core isn’t hurt; I’ll have to manage for now!"

For the time being, Zheng Yi had no better solution and had to proceed this way.

...

After handling some accumulated matters in the Soul Hall, Zheng Yi returned to the Great Yi City Immortal Realm.

Upon reappearance, he was back in the Daluo Alliance Hall.

Promptly, Zheng Yi summoned people, directly calling in Qi Lin.

"In this war, how much has the alliance lost?!"

Without any superfluous words, Zheng Yi inquired about the specific losses of the Daluo Alliance in the grand battle.

"Report, sire, the alliance has lost around thirty percent of its combat strength, significant losses indeed,"

Qi Lin stated simply and clearly, then shifted the conversation, saying, "However, sire, through the battlefield’s tempering, many blood cultivators upgraded to the Foundation Establishment Stage, with over ten blood cultivators advancing just within a month, and nearly ten more likely to succeed in advancement soon..."

Being blood cultivators, their bloodlines inherently possessed a desire for struggle, and previous battles could be considered minor skirmishes, incomparable to this comprehensive eruption of war.

Through the baptism of brutal warfare, these blood cultivators, under the Daluo Alliance’s fervent support with resources, received immense training throughout consecutive battles, paving their way to advancement and breaking into the Foundation Establishment Stage at once.

"It seems the path for nurturing blood cultivators needs to be redefined!"

Hearing this, Zheng Yi pondered deeply.

In his view, the preliminary phase of the grand battle, the Daluo Alliance’s losses were considerable, even with the Nine Yin Profound Yuan Blood Refining Array hit hard and broken, the losses of other alliance members were imaginable.

Fortunately, the cohesion brought by blood connection within the Daluo Alliance surpassed ordinary sect forces, thus maintaining a stance of resistance without succumbing. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

However, so many blood cultivators suddenly advanced to the Foundation Establishment Stage at once, and judging from Qi Lin’s words, many more blood cultivators were likely to advance.

Following this war, although the Daluo Alliance’s foundation suffered not insignificant losses, the high-end combat strength instead doubled, with a substantial increase in power.

"Moreover, after the war, many loose cultivators requested to join the alliance, and since you were absent, sire, I did not consent."

Qi Lin continued.

This time, with the Daluo Alliance achieving a grand victory, many loose cultivators viewed Zheng Yi as an idol, yearning to join the Daluo Alliance to make their mark.

Of course, most loose cultivators simply followed the trend, seeking protection under a large entity.

"Raise the selection standards and recruit some members."

Zheng Yi set the tone straightforwardly. For the alliance’s continued growth, it was necessary to replenish fresh blood, and those outside loose cultivators surely made an excellent recruiting target.

Among them, a fraction of elites would certainly transform into blood cultivators without concerns of potential betrayal.

"I give you half a month to assemble an army with the Daluo Alliance members as the core, to follow me to attack the Golden Palace Sect."

At last, Zheng Yi revealed the purpose of summoning Qi Lin this time.

"Rest assured, sire, I will undoubtedly fulfill this task!"

Qi Lin was shocked at heart, then assuredly pledged earnestly.

Just as he was about to stand and leave, Zheng Yi opened his palm, revealing a crystal-clear droplet of blood.

Like a gem emitting charming brilliance, it was extremely dazzling and radiant.

Standing below, Qi Lin’s heart couldn’t help but thrill upon seeing the gem-like blood droplet.

"Sire, this..."

Gazing at the gem-like crystal-clear blood droplet, Qi Lin involuntarily swallowed.

As a blood cultivator himself, from the instinct within his bloodline, he could clearly feel the power contained within that droplet of blood, which he longed for.