Chapter 847: The Enigma of Ten Thousand Spirit Blood

“Does Ten Thousand Spirit Blood really work like this?”

Lu Changsheng was utterly astonished.

His understanding of Ten Thousand Spirit Blood had been limited to its use for core formation and Nascent Soul spirit items.

It could nurture demon beasts and refine pills.

But he was unaware of its effects on bloodlines.

Now that he thought about it, how could True Lord Mingsha, after spending so much time and effort—even risking his life on a massive slaughter in the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range—to refine Ten Thousand Spirit Blood, do something so simple?

“It appears that Ten Thousand Spirit Blood greatly enhances the bloodlines of demon beasts.”

“And according to information from the Yin Ghost Sect, True Lord Mingsha’s rampant slaughter over the years, refining this Ten Thousand Spirit Blood, is also connected to Beast God Mountain.”

“The legacy of Beast God Mountain involves merging demon beasts with oneself. Such Ten Thousand Spirit Blood can boost bloodline potential, possibly yielding effects far beyond the norm.”

Lu Changsheng pondered, slowly understanding why Beast God Mountain had reached an alliance with the Yin Ghost Sect.

How had True Lord Mingsha enticed Beast God Mountain to lend him a hand—even helping him break through to Nascent Soul?

Chances were, it had something to do with Ten Thousand Spirit Blood.

Previously, Lu Changsheng had asked the Yin Sect Leader why the Yin Ghost Sect, despite years of rampant slaughter, had only one portion of fourth-tier Ten Thousand Spirit Blood in True Lord Mingsha’s possession.

At that time, the Yin Sect Leader was unsure of the specifics.

Now, he didn’t have to guess—most likely, it had been sent to Beast God Mountain by True Lord Mingsha.

“Could it be that the Liang-Yue War and the Liang Kingdom’s refusal to cease hostilities are also linked to Ten Thousand Spirit Blood?”

Lu Changsheng’s heart skipped a beat.

Though it sounded a bit absurd, he couldn’t rule out such a possibility.

After all, war is a colossal reaper of life.

This Liang-Yue War, which had dragged on for years, had claimed many lives among Core Formation cultivators, not to mention the countless injuries among Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining practitioners.

And the losses among Qi Refiners were even harder to count.

“If that’s the case, Beast God Mountain, aware of the Yin Ghost Sect’s looming collapse and with the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool falling into my hands, would surely place immense value on it.”

Lu Changsheng mused inwardly.

When it came to Beast God Mountain, he wasn’t worried.

Even if the Supreme Elder “True Lord Nine Spirits” personally showed up, he was confident he could repel them, perhaps even slay them.

His only concern was with the so-called “envoy”.

Based on his judgment, such envoys likely came from the Seven Demonic Sects.

As a Nascent Soul cultivator from Southern Desolation’s top forces, Lu Changsheng took it very seriously.

“Bzzzz…”

Without overthinking, he looked at the Ding in which his daughter Lu Wangshu’s body was faintly marked with blood-colored spirit patterns, and lightly tapped his finger on the Storage Ring.

Several Porcelain Vials appeared—exactly the third-rank Ten Thousand Spirit Blood harvested by the Yin Ghost Sect.

Originally, he had planned to allot this Ten Thousand Spirit Blood to other Lu Family disciples for body purging and energy condensation.

But now, its effect on his daughter’s Blood Talisman Spirit Body was astonishing.

It was as if it were nurturing and invigorating her very essence.

Lu Changsheng wondered if, with this continued infusion, he could elevate his daughter’s Blood Talisman Spirit Body to a top-tier level.

However, the gap between third-tier and fourth-tier Ten Thousand Spirit Blood was too vast.

Even though the fourth-tier Ten Thousand Spirit Blood she was using had been diluted and neutralized, it couldn’t compare to these few vials of third-tier blood.

In an instant, Lu Changsheng realized that these portions were far from enough to boost Lu Wangshu’s Blood Talisman Spirit Body to top-tier.

But that was expected.

The leap from superior to top-tier spirit body seemed like a single step, yet the gap was enormous.

If it were possible to upgrade using a bit of diluted fourth-tier spirit items along with several third-tier ones, they wouldn’t be so scarce.

“However…”

Lu Changsheng looked at the scene before him and lightly patted another Storage Pouch with his palm.

Instantly, a beautifully patterned, blood-colored Inkstone appeared.

It was none other than his sealed Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool!

“Ha ha ha—”

With the appearance of the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool, a howling, chilling wind swept through the entire Pocket Dimension, accompanied by eerie wails and a thick, sickly stench of blood mist.

“Hm?”

Within the meditating Ding, as Lu Wangshu, who was refining the Ten Thousand Spirit Blood, sensed the commotion, she couldn’t help but open her eyes.

Seeing the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool before her, her expression turned pale in shock.

She recognized it as a demonic spirit treasure.

Why would her father suddenly summon a demonic spirit treasure?

Even though this spirit treasure had been sealed by Lu Changsheng and hadn’t released much energy, facing the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool still sent shivers down Lu Wangshu’s spine.

“Bzz!”

Lu Changsheng removed a few restrictions on the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool and communicated with its spirit, instructing it to refine enough Ten Thousand Spirit Blood.

This spirit treasure’s response demanded a large amount of flesh and blood essence.

“Hmph!” Lu Changsheng snorted coldly as he slightly raised his palm, summoning the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror to fly over, erupting with strands of radiant light that dominated the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool.

He had no intention of nourishing it with flesh and blood; instead, he wanted it to consume the spirit treasure’s inherent essence—or burn the Lu Family’s Spiritual Soldiers within the blood pool—to form Ten Thousand Spirit Blood.

“Bzzzzzz!!!”

The Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool began to tremble wildly, its dark red blood boiling and roaring, producing a terrifying sound akin to wails of despair.

As the treasured legacy of the Yin Ghost Sect, it had always been venerated in the sect.

Even True Lord Mingsha couldn’t fully control it, often needing to pour in flesh and blood essence to sustain it.

Now, Lu Changsheng’s attempt to extract its power for free, to oppress it… how could it agree?

Yet, facing Lu Changsheng and the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror, the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool trembled incessantly.

“If you obey, there will be opportunities in the future to restore the spirit treasure’s essence. But if you remain headstrong, do not blame me for erasing your spiritual nature and burning the treasure’s essence!”

Lu Changsheng’s cold voice echoed toward the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool, his tone far removed from the gentle, caring demeanor he usually reserved for his wife and daughter. His entire presence exuded authority without a trace of anger.

Even Lu Wangshu, witnessing her father’s stern expression, couldn’t help but be struck with awe.

“Wah wah wah…” The spirit within the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool felt crushed under an overwhelming force.

It seemed that with just one more step, its spiritual nature would be completely erased, annihilated.

It trembled and wailed in despair, struggling to defend its dignity, yet it was utterly powerless.

Sensing its spiritual essence gradually eroding, it finally capitulated, choosing to deplete its own spirit treasure essence to refine Ten Thousand Spirit Blood.

“Hmph.”

Seeing this, Lu Changsheng snorted coldly and released his suppression.

In that moment, the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool burst forth with endless crimson radiance; its boiling blood and mingling blood mist began to form Ten Thousand Spirit Blood.

“This…” Lu Wangshu, watching the scene under the influence of the blood pool’s energy, felt an overwhelming chill and even found her breathing growing heavy.

Although she possessed third-rank body refinement techniques, she was still only a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

How could she possibly withstand the aura of such a top-tier demonic spirit treasure?

Noticing this, Lu Changsheng circulated his Yin-Yang magical energy, enveloping his daughter to dispel the eerie, ghostly aura.

“Dad, what is this…” Lu Wangshu asked, swallowing hard.

Recognizing this demonic spirit treasure, and seeing that the diluted spirit blood she was refining seemed to stem from it, she was momentarily dazed, unable to fathom why her father possessed such a sinister, evil demonic treasure.

“The Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool is responsible for refining the Ten Thousand Spirit Blood that you see,” Lu Changsheng explained.

Worried that his daughter might be alarmed, he added, “Although this spirit treasure belongs to the Ghost Path, the Ten Thousand Spirit Blood it refines is a superior spirit substance—pure beyond compare. Once completely refined, it won’t have any side effects.”

“The Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool?” Lu Wangshu found the name strangely familiar, as if she had encountered it before, but she couldn’t recall exactly when.

After a moment’s thought, she remembered reading it when she was researching information about Spiritual Soldiers.

One of the three major demonic sects in the Jin Kingdom, the Yin Ghost Sect possessed a treasured legacy known as the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool.

This treasure could even nurture a legion of Ghost Path Spiritual Soldiers—a truly terrifying force.

“Dad, this is the treasured legacy of the Yin Ghost Sect—the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool?!”

Lu Wangshu exclaimed in disbelief, her bright eyes wide as she scrutinized the blood pool before her.

“Mm.” Lu Changsheng nodded slightly without offering further explanation.

“…”

Lu Wangshu was dumbfounded.

She never expected that the very blood pool she had known as the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool—the treasured legacy of the Yin Ghost Sect, one of the three major demonic sects in the Jin Kingdom—would now be in her father’s possession.

Could it be that her father had some connection with the Yin Ghost Sect?

That couldn’t be; hadn’t he once gone under the alias “Yangming True Lord” to block the Yin Ghost Sect’s path?

Wait a minute…

Recalling that incident, Lu Wangshu’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Not long ago, her father had even gone to the Jin Kingdom, bringing along Lu Minghuang and Lu Mengchan.

Could it be that he had snatched this Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool from the Yin Ghost Sect?

No way!

Hadn’t her father just broken through to Nascent Soul?

Although his strength had always exceeded her expectations, it was unlikely that he could seize the treasured legacy of the Yin Ghost Sect the moment he broke through to Nascent Soul.

After all, the True Lord Mingsha of the Yin Ghost Sect had once been a top cultivator known for standing against Nascent Soul True Lords during the Core Formation stage.

Yet here the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool lay before her—beyond all other reasons that Lu Wangshu could imagine.

In a flash, her thoughts shifted to her Butterfly Transformation Gu.

A gu like that would not only be extremely beneficial to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but even more so to a Core Formation cultivator.

It was undoubtedly a treasure preserved by a powerful faction.

And among the three major demonic factions of the Jin Kingdom was one known as the Five Poisons Sect, which specialized in toxic gu.

So could this Butterfly Transformation Gu be from the Five Poisons Sect?

And the Corpse King Pearl given to her elder brother Lu Ping’an—did it correspond to the Tian Corpse Sect, one of the three major demonic factions in the Jin Kingdom?

This, this, this…

Surely her father wouldn’t have raided all three major demonic factions of the Jin Kingdom in one go, would he?

Lu Wangshu’s heart was filled with a mixture of shock and disbelief; it was simply beyond imagination.

“Calm down!”

Seeing the puzzled look on his daughter’s face, Lu Changsheng immediately urged.

He then channeled the refined Ten Thousand Spirit Blood from the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool into the Ding, and tossed in a batch of spirit medicines to aid her refinement.

Instantly, Lu Wangshu snapped back to focus, closing her eyes and concentrating, no longer wasting time on idle speculation.

Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that her image of her father was gradually being rewritten.

Half a month later…

Within the Sumeru Cave Heaven, Lu Wangshu was seated in the Ding, surrounded by pulsating blood-colored spirit light that shimmered intermittently, forming an inexplicable rhythm.

Upon closer inspection, one could see mysterious, intricate blood-red runes scattered across her porcelain-like skin, as if they carried some profound cosmic law.

As these blood runes intertwined and flowed, transforming into esoteric principles of Dao and reasoning, a system prompt suddenly echoed in Lu Changsheng’s mind.

[System Notification: Host Offspring’s Spirit Body Upgrade Detected. Effects Are Conflicting. Proceed with Fusion?]

“Huff!”

Upon hearing the prompt, Lu Changsheng halted and slowly exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.

He knew that his daughter’s Blood Talisman Spirit Body had finally reached top-tier under the nurturing of Ten Thousand Spirit Blood.

Achieving this upgrade had not been easy.

[Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool]—this top-tier spirit treasure, once in True Lord Mingsha’s hands, had almost plummeted to a high-grade spirit treasure level.

Now, it had directly fallen to mid-grade.

If it continued to burn its essence, it might even drop to low-grade.

At that point, even if he further coerced the spirit within the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool, it might rebel.

Moreover, to counteract the overpowering effect of Ten Thousand Spirit Blood, Lu Changsheng had invested numerous third- and even fourth-tier spirit items.

Had he not slain True Lord Pinghai, Fuhai True Lord, and others—securing hefty gains from the Yin Ghost Sect—even his considerable resources would have been sorely strained by such astronomical expenses.

But in his eyes, the successful upgrade of his daughter’s superior spirit body to a top-tier level made all those sacrifices worthwhile.

Her future path would undoubtedly be much smoother.

“Dad,”

Lu Wangshu opened her eyes, gazing at her father’s handsome, ethereal face with concern. Although her heart brimmed with joy, a certain solemnity weighed on her.

She suddenly felt that too much had been sacrificed.

To boost her Blood Talisman Spirit Body further, her father had expended an enormous amount of resources.

She didn’t know the exact value of all this Ten Thousand Spirit Blood,

but she could sense that in order to produce it, the energy of the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool had noticeably diminished.

And the spirit medicines and items invested in the process were of incalculable worth.

Even as a third-rank talisman maker, managing Spiritual Soldiers and daily expenses far exceeded those of ordinary cultivators,

she couldn’t help but feel the pinch—money definitely wasn’t free.

Such resources, if diverted elsewhere, could have raised several Core Formation cultivators.

“Wangshu, what’s wrong?”

Noticing that his daughter didn’t appear as joyful as usual, Lu Changsheng asked with concern, thinking she might be unwell.

After all, Ten Thousand Spirit Blood was inherently demonic.

If too much were refined in a short time, it might lead to complications or aftereffects.

“It’s just that… it feels like such a waste,”

Lu Wangshu replied softly, her red lips pursed in a pained expression.

If these were spirit stones, their value would be astronomical.

Even if she broke through at the Core Formation stage, she wouldn’t earn such bounties.

“Heh heh, you do know that even daily expenses have gone up,”

Lu Changsheng chuckled helplessly, remarking that he had thought she was unwell, only to find that she was merely fretting over expenses.

“How come I wasn’t aware of this?”

Lu Wangshu playfully glared at her father, her voice laced with mock reproach.

Having managed the Heavenly Talisman Hall in the Immortal City of Damengze for years and overseeing the Lu Family’s advanced talismans, she was well aware of market prices.

Precisely because she knew, she felt the pinch.

Knowing that her father had spent an astronomical sum to upgrade her spirit body,

Lu Changsheng teased, “Since you already feel the pinch, then hurry up and ascend to fourth-rank talisman maker so you can earn it back.”

Lu Changsheng knew his daughter had a love for wealth, and he joked lightheartedly.

“I’m not heartbroken about it anymore,”

Lu Wangshu immediately shook her head.

“Alright, now that your spirit body has ascended, take the time to truly understand its current state.”

Lu Changsheng refrained from bantering further, urging her to reflect quietly on her current condition—there might be hidden gains.

Obediently, Lu Wangshu focused, entering a calm state to absorb the profound, resource-fueled enhancement of her spirit body.

In the process of being nurtured by Ten Thousand Spirit Blood, she acquired deeper insights into Talisman Art and the Nine-Nine Profound Talisman Sutra.

She even gained a mysterious transmission of Talisman Art heritage,

entering a state of sudden revelation with every breath—a state that Lu Changsheng marveled at.

Then, with the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool in hand, he returned to his own cave residence.

Previously, he had somewhat dismissed the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool, feeling its effect was mediocre and that the Ten Thousand Spirit Blood it produced was rather similar to the drop of celestial dew from the Cheng Lu Pan.

But now, he saw that each had its own strengths and weaknesses.

That this spirit treasure could become the treasured legacy of the Yin Ghost Sect was indeed a merit-worthy trait.

“System,”

Upon returning to his cave residence, Lu Changsheng quietly invoked the system to check on his daughter Lu Wangshu’s condition.

[Name: Lu Wangshu]

[Lifespan: 109/365]

[Talent: Third-Grade Spirit Root, Blood Talisman Spirit Body (Top-Tier)]

[Cultivation: Layer Nine of Foundation Establishment]

[Aptitude: Talisman Art Compatibility (120%)]

“Still a Blood Talisman Spirit Body,”

Lu Changsheng mused, noticing that his daughter’s spirit body had only changed in grade, not in type. He raised a brow.

But considering that her upgrade was achieved solely by continuously nurturing her blood talisman’s foundation with Ten Thousand Spirit Blood,

it wasn’t surprising that it didn’t evolve into another type of talisman spirit body.

He had even worried that her spirit body might gradually develop into some sort of Blood Path spirit body.

“System, Fusion!”

Lu Changsheng solemnly chanted as he merged the upgraded Blood Talisman Spirit Body into his own Chaos Body.

After all, unless one was melding a Dao Body, no ordinary top-tier spirit body could shake his Chaos Body.

Through this process, Lu Changsheng gained a more detailed understanding of his daughter Lu Wangshu’s Blood Talisman Spirit Body.

Building on what he previously knew, he acquired several additional enhancements.

But, as he had feared, her spirit body was gradually leaning toward a Blood Path type.

Apart from her innate talent in Talisman Art, her progress was mainly driven by the consumption of refined blood—

burning refined blood not only had a greatly amplified effect, but it also boosted her Talisman Art talent, deepened her insights into Talisman Art, elevated the quality of her talismans, and increased their potency.

“It’s a waste,”

Lu Changsheng grumbled inwardly, thinking these effects were somewhat trivial.

After all, creating talismans naturally demands great effort.

If one were to repeatedly burn refined blood to enhance one’s talent and talisman potency, it might end up cutting one’s own lifespan—much like the risks of divination.

However, upgrading a spirit body wasn’t like fusing a Chaos Body with another physical form; it was beyond his control.

This time, his daughter’s spirit body was just right—her Blood Talisman Spirit Body meshed perfectly with the Ten Thousand Spirit Blood, unlocking her inherent potential.

Otherwise, elevating a spirit body would have been nearly impossible.

“But… this spirit body’s effect… it seems almost tailored for me.”

After merging her Blood Talisman Spirit Body into his Chaos Body, Lu Changsheng could feel that, under the influence of his own physique and Chaos Body, the effect of burning refined blood in her Blood Talisman Spirit Body was astonishingly potent on him.

Just a small amount of refined blood could yield effects far exceeding the norm.

“Hiss…”

Lu Changsheng quietly absorbed the sensation, murmuring to himself, “And with my Chaos Body, which channels indestructible material that normally takes months for an ordinary person to heal, I can recover in mere days.”

Earlier, through divination, Lu Changsheng had already experienced the benefits bestowed by his fourth-rank physique and Chaos Body.

In that instant, he realized the tremendous boost his Blood Talisman Spirit Body had given him.

Even though it had been a long time since he last drew a talisman,

the simple fourth-rank talismans held little value for him compared to forging his own.

Yet now, with the upgrade of his Blood Talisman Spirit Body, he was inspired.

He considered picking up his old Talisman Arrays once more.

By burning refined blood to rapidly advance his Talisman Art to fourth-rank,

and then nurturing several mid-level fourth-rank talismans as a trump card to counter the Zhenhai Patriarch,

he believed there was no challenge too great.

After all, relying solely on divine abilities offered little room for swift advancement compared to the boost provided by talismans.

Soon, Lu Changsheng took out his long-dormant talisman brush, talisman skins, and spiritual ink, beginning to inscribe talismans.

Although he hadn’t drawn talismans in ages,

the moment he gripped the brush, it was as if divine assistance filled him.

After drafting a third-rank top-tier talisman, he felt that some fourth-rank talismans now posed little challenge.

During his recent journey to the Heaven Corpse Sect and the Five Poisons Sect, he had acquired some precious fourth-rank talisman skins and spiritual ink, and without hesitation, he began to work.

Though it felt as if divine power were on his side, he remained meticulous, completely absorbed in his task.

After a long while…

“Bzz!”

A burst of radiant spirit light surged across the talisman array, pervaded with fourth-rank energy.

“A mere fourth-rank talisman maker poses no challenge at all.”

Gazing at the fourth-rank talisman before him, Lu Changsheng was filled with joy, realizing that he could now effortlessly craft numerous fourth-rank talismans.

As long as he was willing to take the time to refine, ascending to mid-grade fourth-rank talisman maker would be a trivial task.

This was not only thanks to the boost from his Blood Talisman Spirit Body, but also the breakthroughs in his own cultivation.

After all, Lu Changsheng had long been one of the top third-rank talisman makers, though he had seldom taken the time to refine further.

Otherwise, he might never have broken through to Nascent Soul or upgraded his Blood Talisman Spirit Body—his innate Talisman Art talent and heritage had been enough to elevate him to fourth-rank.

Now, with his overflowing talent, everything came naturally!

In no time, Lu Ancestor took up his talisman brush and continued to inscribe a series of fourth-rank talismans.

After a while, the talisman skins on the array exploded with a loud ‘bang’ as they burned.

Fortunately, as a Nascent Soul cultivator, Lu Changsheng was not harmed.

“It seems that these exquisite talismans, even with the aid of burning refined blood, cannot be produced without specially made talisman skins.”

Lu Changsheng exhaled a long, turbid breath as he looked at the charred talisman skins and murmured.

Most talismans are drawn on fourth-rank wooden or beast skins as their paper.

But exquisite talismans, such as the Descent Spirit Charm or the Substitute Life Charm, require specially crafted talisman skins.

Just now, Lu Changsheng had a sudden thought: could he use his refined blood on ordinary talisman skins to create such exquisite talismans? The attempt immediately failed.

On one hand, the ordinary talisman skins couldn’t endure it;

on the other, he was only capable of inscribing simpler, lower-grade fourth-rank talismans at the moment.

After drawing several fourth-rank talismans, Lu Changsheng grew somewhat fatigued and went off to find his wife to rest and relax.

In the days that followed, Lu Changsheng rekindled his passion for talisman making, exploring the art alongside his wife Lu Miaoge in their cave residence.

Then, one day, a system prompt suddenly sounded in Lu Changsheng’s mind.

[Congratulations! Your offspring has birthed a spirit body descendant, granting you a lottery draw chance!]

[System Check: Host Spirit Body Effects Conflict. Proceed with Fusion?]