Chapter 603: 甲子 Year Departure, Seventh Layer of Transforming Spirit, Taoyin Divine Pattern

After a period of feedback from the placement slots, Wang Yu gained a deeper understanding of the Grand Yin Form Refinement Scripture. Although he couldn't directly refine it with his human body, he could emulate the birth process of a Star God by creating a conducive environment. This would accelerate the transformation of his Nascent Soul, allowing him to cultivate the first Grand Yin Divine Pattern as quickly as possible.

This Grand Yin Fire Pool was the most he could achieve at the moment. To create it, he even willingly sacrificed the Ice Chilong Pill Flame, which he had painstakingly cultivated for many years. He used it to substitute for true Grand Yin Fire, ensuring that his Natal Spirit Treasure's transformation would not be delayed. Coupled with materials such as the lava core fire and ancient beast flesh harvested from the base of the Vermilion Bird Divine Mountain, his Natal Spirit Treasure could be upgraded to mid-grade within six months. By then, the One Qi Demonic Flame would become his ultimate killing move.

Currently, however, the Thirty-Six Grade Blood Lotus Cauldron excelled in fire-based techniques, which did not align with the Frost Devil Yuan he had accumulated over years of cultivation. His innate divine ability also received little enhancement from the treasure, somewhat diminishing his combat power. There was no immediate solution for this. Nevertheless, due to the existence of his Innate True Devil Body, transitioning from specializing in one path to mastering multiple paths was a necessary process of profound learning; this temporary mismatch was simply a passing phase.

One must remember that the Thirty-Six Grade Blood Lotus Cauldron's predecessor was the 'Cosmic Demonic Cauldron,' which inherently embodied the true meaning of primordial chaos. Its current inclination towards fire-based techniques was merely an influence from its attached divine abilities. Its true core was to embrace all phenomena, like the ocean accommodating all rivers.

The Paths of Slaughter, Malevolent Ghost, Illusory Light, and Frost Moon. These four profound concepts represented four great Daos that could be comprehended. When a concept was cultivated to its peak, one could resonate with heaven and earth, thereby perceiving the profound and mysterious principles of the Great Dao behind them. This was the grand and righteous path of cultivation.

However, the absence of a profound concept did not mean one couldn't comprehend Dao principles; it simply made the path more rugged and perilous. The path Wang Yu envisioned involved integrating all his profound concepts and their associated conceptual weapons into his Nascent Soul. This would not only significantly enhance the power of his 'Heaven and Earth Manifestation' ability, but also help him create cultivation methods and comprehend the Dao. He needed to devise a fundamental demonic art suitable for his Innate True Devil Body, one that could encompass all phenomena, and which would then perfectly align with his Natal Spirit Treasure.

As for the Natal Divine Ability 'Twelve Phases of Guanghan,' it could also receive enhancement. When cultivating multiple paths, some could be primary and others secondary. If the path of Frost advanced significantly, it would serve as the main path, with other paths as supplements, thus ensuring that the profound extreme-cold foundation accumulated over years of arduous cultivation would not go to waste.

Of course, theory was one thing, but achieving it in reality would require a long journey. A slight reduction in his combat power ceiling was not a major issue; it could be compensated for in other ways.

Returning to the main topic, Wang Yu's most urgent task was to forge the first Grand Yin Divine Pattern. Simulating the birth environment of a Star God was merely the first step; accumulating Grand Yin power to transform his divine soul was the second. With eight placement slots simultaneously active in this process, his main body hardly needed to worry.

This led to the third step, which required him to elevate his mental perception to its highest level. On the first and fifteenth day of each lunar month, when the power of the Grand Yin Star reached its peak like a rising tide, he would interact with his divine soul to achieve resonance. In this regard, the Grand Yin Nether Pupil was truly a great help. The subtle connection established with the Grand Yin Star's cosmic position made him inherently closer to the concept of Grand Yin than ordinary people. Furthermore, his physical body was seated upon a projection of the Grand Yin Star, making the practical connection extremely close.

This drastically reduced the difficulty of his resonance. During his first attempt at resonance, Wang Yu gained nothing. A year later, he made some progress. Every first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, he could leverage the power of the Grand Yin Star, causing moonlight essence to pour down, cleansing his divine soul and continuously transforming the essence of his Nascent Soul.

During this process, his Frost Moon concept advanced rapidly, far surpassing the other three concepts. In just six years, he successfully condensed the White Jade Plate, a conceptual weapon, which then floated behind his Nascent Soul. It continuously emitted a clear, cold moonlight, making Wang Yu's Nascent Soul appear like a born divinity, ethereal and extraordinary, or like a vast true immortal, yet beyond reach. He even touched the threshold of the Grand Yin Dao Principles.

It should be noted that while spatial Dao principles are relatively easier to grasp and represent one of the unique realm abilities of Void Refinement cultivators, the true profundities of Dao principles are diligently cultivated by Dao Harmonization cultivators. Ordinary Void Refinement cultivators typically focus on strengthening their profound concepts; only exceptional prodigies and monstrous talents can comprehend the profound mysteries of Dao principles in advance, far surpassing others at their cultivation level.

Since the Frost Moon concept was a combination of frost and Grand Yin, it implicitly followed a principle of balance. His comprehension of Grand Yin significantly improved, partly due to the Grand Yin Form Refinement Scripture, which also spurred the advancement of his frost cultivation. For Wang Yu, these two were originally one. Therefore, as his Grand Yin comprehension surged, his frost cultivation also progressed, though not as dramatically, it still far outpaced paths like Slaughter and Yellow Springs Malevolent Ghost.

Over seven years, his understanding of profound concepts underwent a complete transformation. To truly condense the first Grand Yin Divine Pattern, he had to cross that threshold and genuinely comprehend a portion of the Grand Yin Dao Principles; even one percent would suffice. This would require diligent and prolonged effort.

"'My self in the placement slots, push harder! Why shouldn't a Soul Transformation cultivator comprehend Dao principles? With this opportunity, it's as if heaven itself is helping me, Wang Yu!'" The Star God's legacy had arrived at just the right time.

Day after day, year after year, spring turned to winter. Unbeknownst to him, sixty cycles of seasons had passed since Wang Yu began his second secluded cultivation on the moon. A full sixty years had gone by.

On this day, in the long-depleted Grand Yin Fire Pool, a massive black stone suddenly developed web-like cracks, sparking curiosity about the mysteries it contained. Fortunately, the suspense didn't last long. With a thunderous boom, a large number of depleted Grand Yin Soul Stones exploded and scattered. A handsome, naked youth rose from within, his moon-white, crystal-like skin seemingly flowing with ethereal spiritual light. His streamlined muscular physique was perfectly displayed, resembling a sculpture or a work of art, utterly captivating.

His most striking feature, however, was his eyes. The whites of his eyes had transformed into a starry sky, with countless stars glimmering and slowly rotating like nebulae. His original pupils were replaced by a grayish-white full moon, resembling the core of the celestial constellations and emitting an endless aura—supreme Grand Yin! His Sixth-Tier Grand Yin Nether Pupil had reached Great Perfection!

Beyond the six existing pupil techniques, the transformation of his Nascent Soul's essence gave birth to an innate divine ability, much like the bloodline abilities of demon beasts, originating from his very being. It was called — 'Grand Yin Illuminates All Heavens'! This was not merely a divine ability but also a natural phenomenon. When this manifestation appeared, all stars would bow in reverence; only phenomena of equally supreme stars like the Sun or Ziwei could contend with it.

More importantly, this divine ability was not for offense but for enhancement. It was extremely compatible with the Twelve Phases of Guanghan. If further stacked with Grand Yin Dao Principles, its power ceiling would surge by several levels, far exceeding Wang Yu's peak state. However, its consumption was considerable; his Soul Transformation spiritual power was far from enough to support a second use, making it an absolute trump card that must not be used lightly. With this trump card, he could casually defeat even an early-stage Void Refinement cultivator.

After today, the power he could unleash almost surpassed the understanding of normal cultivators. Furthermore, thanks to his initial comprehension of Grand Yin Dao Principles, various related divine abilities and secret arts had made significant progress. Even many refined techniques that had already reached perfection underwent tremendous changes, effectively turning decay into wonder.

In the abandoned fire pool, Wang Yu lightly spun, and the 'Three-Foot Snow' robe once again covered his body. This fourth-tier low-grade magical robe had been worn for quite some years; perhaps he could try refining a new one himself. After a brief period of adjustment, Wang Yu realized that his cultivation had naturally broken through to the seventh layer of Soul Transformation. Within his Qi Sea, the Frost Devil Yuan flowed endlessly like a vast ocean, circulating continuously according to the heavenly cycles.

In the later stages of this cultivation realm, the strength of his Nascent Soul posed no issues. However, accumulating demonic essence became increasingly difficult, requiring vast quantities of rare treasures to accelerate the process. Ultimately, the lower realm's resources were scarce, with few spiritual items suitable for Soul Transformation cultivators to rapidly accumulate spiritual power. Calculating the years, 316 years had passed in his career as an Ancestor. From the first layer of Nascent Soul to the seventh layer of Soul Transformation, his speed was incredibly fast. It was no longer fitting to count his years by his 'Ancestor' status, especially since the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect was gone. However, there was no rush to change it now; he would address it once he ascended to the True Spirit Realm. The cultivation world of Ice Prison didn't keep track of years, he personally preferred to, as it allowed him to perceive the passage of time more clearly.

"'Soul Transformation cultivators have a lifespan of 3,200 years. As of now, I am already... five hundred and three years and three months old.'" At this age, he could sigh at the passage of time and sing of the trials endured. If he were to count from his early days entering the cultivation world, even the first people he knew who had achieved Foundation Establishment would have already reached the end of their lifespans.

However, due to the catastrophe in Ice Prison, his old acquaintances had either died or fled. He no longer had any lingering attachments, so it was better to leave and continue ascending his own Great Dao.

After sixty years in secluded cultivation, Wang Yu was filled with endless emotions. After a long while, he finally settled down and sensed his Nascent Soul. The Nascent Soul transformed from the Golden Core stage, where the main part of the soul had separated and integrated into the Golden Core, becoming the Nascent Soul through the golden essence root. Theoretically, the Nascent Soul was the cultivator's soul, yet not entirely. The 'separation of the soul' was not a simple splitting in half as commonly understood; the three ethereal souls and seven corporeal souls formed a single entity. The celestial and terrestrial souls typically resided outside, while the human soul remained resident. The Nascent Soul was the ultimate transformation of the human soul.

However, after cultivating the Grand Yin Star God Scripture, his celestial and terrestrial souls had long been recalled, returning to their origin and reverting to innate status for re-incubation. But this time, what was being nurtured was the essence of a Star God. Wang Yu could even feel the pulsation of the Grand Yin Star beneath his feet, and a peculiar 'postpartum weakness' feeling, caused by him absorbing too much of its origin, which was quite wondrous.

Upon introspecting his Nascent Soul, he found that it no longer bore its former brilliant golden demonic patterns. Although its appearance was identical to Wang Yu's, its aura was completely different. Complex purple-gold patterns were etched on its forehead. Three lines intersected, forming three distinct regions. At first glance, it somewhat resembled the Mercedes-Benz logo, which startled Wang Yu, but it was merely a resemblance. The uppermost region bore an upward-curving crescent moon mark; this was the so-called 'Grand Yin Divine Pattern,' deeply imprinted on the Nascent Soul's forehead, signifying the One-Mark Star God realm.

If the remaining two blank regions could also be inscribed with Grand Yin Divine Patterns, he could achieve the Three-Mark Star God realm. This would directly reflect the Star God's progress in comprehending Dao principles and also confer various mysterious effects. The simplest of these was an affinity for fundamental laws. For instance, since Wang Yu was nurtured by the Grand Yin Star, he naturally had an affinity for the Grand Yin Dao Principles, making their comprehension as simple as eating and drinking, though still constrained by his human race's comprehension and foundation.

A One-Mark Star God was comparable to a Soul Transformation cultivator. After forcibly cultivating and changing his essence with the help of the placement slots, he could now cultivate on his own without relying on them. Since his essence had already changed, there would be no issue even if he called himself a Grand Yin Star God. However, the One-Mark realm was too weak; ordinarily, a Star God nurtured by a supreme star like the Grand Yin Star would start at the Three-Mark realm, which made his current state somewhat peculiar.

However, Star Gods had long ceased to exist in the boundless Immortal Realm. His appearance could only be described as having been 'brought forth' too forcefully, creating one. Furthermore, while the divine patterns possessed infinite wondrous uses, the Star God legacy he received was incomplete. To fully complete it, he might have to visit the true Grand Yin Star in the future, a matter that still required long-term planning.

Numerous insights swirled in his mind. Wang Yu spent an additional ten days stabilizing his state. The power of the Star God was still awaiting further excavation. Although he could sense that his Nascent Soul's strength was incomparable to before, he still found it difficult to pinpoint specific improvements. It was profound and mysterious; he could only familiarize himself with it slowly.

Therefore, when Wang Yu next reorganized his placement slots, he allocated them as follows: four fundamental cultivation arts, one Star God cultivation art, one body-refinement cultivation art, one 'Myriad Void Heavens' constantly rotating, and one profound concept comprehension constantly rotating. All eight slots were fully occupied, yet he still felt it wasn't enough. He only hoped to break through to a major realm as soon as possible to unlock more placement slots. He then closed his eyes to sense the current efficiency of his cultivation improvement.

To break through to the eighth layer of Soul Transformation without the aid of spiritual pills or elixirs would require at least a century of accumulation. The increasingly slower pace was normal, considering he was already much faster than ordinary cultivators.

"'I still need to accelerate with cultivation resources to speed things up, but the first layer of the Jade Void Lapis Lazuli Wall, 'Karmic Tribulation to Emptiness,' has already been cultivated...'" The ability to initiate such an immortal art greatly exceeded Wang Yu's expectations. He suspected it was a benefit from the cosmic position gained by condensing the Grand Yin Divine Pattern, much like the Yama Emperor's Sword's position inherently granted control over yin ghosts. The cosmic position conferred by the Grand Yin Divine Pattern was a naturally profound quality that transcended karma, and it was this very characteristic that allowed him to quickly complete the first layer of the Jade Void Lapis Lazuli Wall.

More accurately, he had utilized his innate cosmic position, shifting from an uncontrolled emanation to intentional mastery. Compared to his initial thought of merely condensing a trace of Jade Void Lapis Lazuli to achieve initiation, the effect had surged by more than a hundredfold!

The 'Karmic Tribulation to Emptiness' meant that regardless of whether it was a tribulation or a karmic connection, anything negative, malicious, or leading to an undesirable outcome would turn to naught, unable to pinpoint his existence. This 'to emptiness' process could be controlled by his self-awareness. If someone schemed against him or divined his past or location, he would sense it; the stronger the malice, the clearer the sensation. It was truly a supreme method of Dao protection.

In reality, this manifested as a thin layer of Jade Void Lapis Lazuli Wall appearing around his Nascent Soul, completely enveloping it, as if he had transcended the Three Realms and was outside the Five Elements. It was profoundly mysterious and awe-inspiring. While 'Karmic Tribulation to Emptiness' might not be able to withstand the scrutiny of true immortals skilled in such arts, it was more than sufficient against those below the true immortal realm, as the Dao of Karma Divination was not a common cultivation path, and achieving mastery in it was exceedingly difficult. This level of heavenly secret shielding and karmic untraceability was already exceptionally marvelous, fully meeting Wang Yu's requirements for 'breaking the cage,' and even far exceeding them.

After completing his self-reflection, Wang Yu felt a sense of relief and clarity. "'Now, with only the hidden danger of the Born Devil remaining, I can leave the Ice Prison and truly embark on the path of seeking the Dao. There's no time like the present; I'll give it a try today!'"