Chapter 728: Blood-Drop Rebirth (II)
Time passed slowly. In the blink of an eye, more than two months went by. To make his pretense more convincing, Lin Zheyu paused to rest several times along the way while also extracting a considerable number of precious healing and restorative treasure herbs from Cao Hongchang. Since they were being used for his own treatment, Cao Hongchang spared no expense. He even brought out the potent medicines he had kept in reserve to save his life and restore himself in desperate situations.
"This is as far as I can go. I have done everything within my power." Lin Zheyu's weak voice sounded within the imitation Yao Demon Nest. He withdrew his right hand from Cao Hongchang's abdomen and trembled slightly, instantly evaporating the sweat that had soaked his body.
"No, accomplishing this much has already far exceeded my expectations. I have never felt better!"
With the puppet's support, Cao Hongchang's true body slowly rose to his feet. His bloodshot eyes shone more brightly than ever before. He felt an unprecedented sense of relief. The pall of yao will that had shrouded his soul and Nascent Soul had almost completely vanished. It was simply incredible!
Cao Hongchang solemnly saluted Lin Zheyu and said with utmost sincerity, "Thank you for this tremendous kindness, fellow friend. If you ever have need of me in the future, you need only ask!"
This man's divine ability was truly terrifying! As long as Cao Hongchang remained a demonic cultivator and had yet to free himself from the yao will's torment, the day would undoubtedly come when he needed Lin Zheyu's help again. Therefore, Cao Hongchang wanted to remain on good terms with him and establish a strong friendship between them.
"Haha, there is no need to be so courteous. However, there truly is something I need to trouble you with," Lin Zheyu replied with a hearty laugh.
Cao Hongchang's eyes froze slightly, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
Damn it, how could I have forgotten what a thoroughly awful personality this fellow had? This is a transaction!
He had already paid an enormous quantity of high-grade spirit stones, offered up the Evilheart Sect, and thrown in numerous powerful demon arts. Why had he gone out of his way to make such an unnecessary promise?
"Just say the word. As long as it lies within my capabilities, I will not refuse," Cao Hongchang said through gritted teeth.
As long as the request was not too outrageous, he intended to agree.
"Rest assured, I will not make things difficult for you. I am quite interested in your imitation Yao Demon Nest. Could you lend me its cultivation method for a look? At the same time, I would like you to grant me access to this imitation Yao Demon Nest so I can study it for a while." Lin Zheyu made these exorbitant demands with a smile.
The imitation Yao Demon Nest was the very foundation of Cao Hongchang's cultivation, so this request was indeed asking a great deal of him.
"Fine!" Cao Hongchang gritted his teeth and replied solemnly, "In that case, I may need to trouble you frequently in the future. I hope you will be generous with your assistance."
"Haha, then you have my thanks, fellow friend." Lin Zheyu smiled and continued, "If you know any other powerful demonic cultivators, you may refer them to me as long as they are wealthy enough."
"I will give you a 10% commission. Oh, right. If the erosion from the yao will recurs, I can give you a 20% discount on your next treatment." Lin Zheyu smiled, then vanished from the spot with a slight sway, leaving Cao Hongchang behind in speechless silence.
"Huff..." Cao Hongchang exhaled deeply. He stared in the direction Lin Zheyu had departed, narrowing his eyes as his expression shifted.
"I must find a way out of this disadvantageous position. I cannot allow that fellow to keep me at his mercy," Cao Hongchang murmured softly.
That fellow's personality was simply too awful for Cao Hongchang's liking. Moreover, Cao Hongchang hated having his weakness held over him and being forced to act according to someone else's whims. He had cultivated for centuries. Since advancing to the Nascent Soul realm, when had he ever suffered such humiliation?
"That old bastard Li Xiang joined the Painful Holy Sect and clung to life just to avoid dying. When I met him several years ago, he still retained most of his sanity and had not gone completely mad. He was still searching for a way to survive. After so much time, that old bastard is probably not far from becoming just like those lunatics in the Painful Holy Sect. If I told him about Xiao Zhe...
"No, that will not do. I must plan this matter carefully. If Xiao Zhe dies at that madman's hands, there will be no one left to deal with the erosion of the yao will in the future," Cao Hongchang murmured softly as the secret chamber's door slowly closed.
Both he and Lin Zheyu had expended a great deal over the past two months. Even if Lin Zheyu wanted to study Cao Hongchang's imitation Yao Demon Nest, he would have to wait until they had both recovered. Lin Zheyu glanced at Cao Hongchang as he entered the secret chamber. A faint smile appeared on his lips before his figure flickered and vanished.
As a powerful figure of Yao Dao, Cao Hongchang could never truly be as accommodating as he appeared. He had merely been humoring Lin Zheyu all along. Lin Zheyu knew that Cao Hongchang was humoring him, and Cao Hongchang knew that he was aware of it. Both understood this without saying a word.
Neither of them was a child, and relationships between cultivators could sometimes be even more complicated than relations between nations in Lin Zheyu's previous life. Neither wanted to openly fall out with the other. Cao Hongchang still possessed tremendous research value to him, while Cao Hongchang could not do without him.
"Yao Dao is even more fascinating and mysterious than I imagined... A Nascent Soul composed of yao flesh is truly intriguing..." Lin Zheyu remarked with a soft laugh.
While treating the erosion of the yao will within Cao Hongchang, Lin Zheyu had discovered more than just the abnormalities in his sea of consciousness. Even Cao Hongchang's Nascent Soul differed from a normal one. It was composed entirely of flesh that had undergone Yao Transformation, yet it possessed the spiritual characteristics of an ordinary Nascent Soul.
What intrigued Lin Zheyu was whether the Nascent Soul had transformed into yao flesh due to the yao will's subsequent erosion, or whether it had been like this from the moment it was condensed.
A brilliant light gleamed in Lin Zheyu's eyes as excitement surged through him. "If I can determine from Cao Hongchang how the spirit and spiritual soul undergo a transformation into flesh under the influence of the yao will, then uncover the principles behind it, perhaps I can also attain the true ability to be reborn from a drop of blood."
Blood-Drop Rebirth was an ability he had encountered in many myths, legends, and novels in his previous life, one supposedly attainable only after cultivating the physical body to its pinnacle. Yet despite having cultivated his body to such a terrifying degree, he still saw no hope of achieving it. No complete soul will existed within his flesh and blood. They contained only a faint and incomplete fleshly will, and fleshly will and soul will were two entirely different things.
There was an enormous gulf between the two. Integrating a complete soul will into every inch of flesh was an almost impossible feat. Even a Deity Transformation realm expert could not accomplish it. Even such an expert could not use any random sliver of their soul as a foundation to restore their complete soul form.
That was even more unthinkable for a crude martial artist who lacked expertise in the soul. Integrating a complete soul consciousness throughout every part of the body's flesh and blood was virtually impossible. Yet the changes within Cao Hongchang let Lin Zheyu glimpse a sliver of possibility. Suddenly, his expression shifted slightly. He turned his right hand over and retrieved the communication talisman Fan Hongwei had left.
"Fan Hongwei is urging me again. I will leave him waiting a while longer..." Lin Zheyu glanced at Fan Hongwei's message, casually replied that he was busy, and then ignored him.
There was no urgency regarding Fan Hongwei's matter. He had already waited so long that another year or two would make little difference. Right now, Lin Zheyu was far more interested in the imitation Yao Demon Nest and the fascinating discoveries he had made within Cao Hongchang.