Chapter 902: Nangong Yaoyao, Left Without Support, Cultivates the God-Devouring Technique

Celestial Lotus Sect, White Lotus Peak.

Nangong Yaoyao left True Lord White Lotus’s palace and returned to her own cave residence.

“Miss.”

When the maids Huo Wu and Liu Yin saw Nangong Yaoyao in a snowy lotus dress, ethereal yet voluptuous, they bowed at once.

Though both women waited on her daily, they still couldn’t help but be mesmerized by their lady’s beauty.

Blessed with peerless looks and the Immaculate Heavenly Fragrance Body, Nangong Yaoyao’s fame had spread the moment she entered the Celestial Lotus Sect.

After stepping into Core Formation and with arts like the Heavenly Fragrance Gu, Immortal Grace Technique and Jade-Bone Physique, her charm soared to a dreamlike level.

Every frown or smile overflowed with allure; peers found themselves liking her, some even falling head over heels at the hem of her lotus skirt.

Thus the title “White-Lotus Enchantress” Nangong Yaoyao became widely known over the decades.

Everyone knew True Lord White Lotus had taken in another breathtaking disciple and that her methods surpassed those of her seniors.

She had even converted Daylight Golden Crow Sect’s core disciple Ji Shaoyi and counted several noted Core cultivators among her admirers.

Eight years ago a rogue who once escaped a Core Grandmaster still knelt to her charm, amazing the world.

“Master has ordered me to go to Gusang City. Pack up, you two are coming with me.”

Nangong Yaoyao instructed the maids.

The pair were her confidantes; though far less gifted, they too had formed their cores.

“Gusang City?”

Their faces tightened as they asked why the True Lord would send her there.

Gusang City sits squarely within the Daylight Golden Crow Sect’s domain.

Years ago Nangong Yaoyao not only converted genius Ji Shaoyi but also bewitched Elder Liu Yan’s daughter Ruan Qianqian.

That outrage made the sect and Elder Liu Yan post a bounty on her head.

Since then orthodox Mystic Gates and Golden Crow disciples had tried to kill her more than once.

During the last secret-realm contest she even lost two followers and escaped only by using a treasure.

Returning to Golden Crow territory now meant its top geniuses would surely challenge her, even if their Nascent Soul elders stayed out of it.

“Master has scheduled a wager with the lord of Gusang City.”

Nangong Yaoyao replied, her enchanting eyes utterly indifferent.

After years in the sect she understood what a top-tier Southern Desolation demon sect was truly like.

True Lord White Lotus valued talent yet not as much as Yaoyao once thought.

Of the eleven disciples she had taken, only five remained, one half crippled.

The disciples competed rather than supported one another.

A True Lord’s resources are limited.

Every extra disciple means less for the rest.

True Lords, lineage heads and peak lords all wanted to produce the sect’s next Holy Maiden.

So even the peaks and core disciples within the sect vie against one another.

Disciples under the same True Lord are rivals too.

During her last trial she walked into an ambush laid by her own senior sister and outsiders.

To gain favor she never hid her brilliance, making senior and junior sisters see her as a threat.

Now her position was awkward.

Isolated within the sect, she could rely only on herself.

Her conversion of Ji Shaoyi was public knowledge, so every faction guarded against her.

She now had to rely on secret-realm expeditions and risky missions to advance and build power.

The Celestial Lotus legacy excels at neither frontal combat nor brawls.

In the Holy Maiden contest you need outside support as well as strength.

Whether that support is a converted believer, a guest elder or a suitor matters little.

Because she showed her fangs too early it’s hard to find partners; all view her with caution.

The Core cultivator she subjugated years ago had damaged his essence and was mediocre at best.

Yet other disciples hyped him up, exaggerating her danger and worsening her plight.

Nangong Yaoyao regretted revealing so much of her edge back then.

Showing some edge is necessary,

for only stunning talent wins a True Lord’s resources.

But too much edge is fatal; there must be balance.

Show strength yet appear weak, always keeping cards hidden.

Several senior sisters were no weaker than she yet hid their skills deep.

But the title “White-Lotus Enchantress” fell on her, drawing all the fire.

Yaoyao knew that unless she kept proving her worth her master would stop favoring her.

When that happened, her fate would be grim.

“Yes, miss.”

Huo Wu and Liu Yin answered respectfully and went to prepare.

Yin Ghost Sect.

Inside Meng Xiaochan’s cave.

Nangong Mili, Meng Xiaochan and Qu Zhenzhen gathered around a three-foot sapling bearing a fruit shaped like a sleeping infant.

With the second drop of Wuling Heaven Dew the Heavenly Infant Fruit ripened fully, releasing a tempting aroma.

“So this is the Heavenly Infant Fruit!?”

Nangong Mili’s eyes glittered at the crystalline fruit covered in natural Dao-patterns.

As a ninth-layer Core cultivator she naturally knew its value.

It could serve as Huaying Pill’s main ingredient or be taken directly to boost a Nascent Soul breakthrough.

Such a treasure would drive countless cultivators mad.

“So train hard until you reach peak Core Formation,”

Lu Changsheng said with a smile, plucking the fruit and sealing it in a jade box so its essence wouldn’t escape.

Back in the Starry Sea he had already gathered over half the Huaying Pill ingredients.

After pacifying the Yin Ghost Sect and the Liang-Yue War, and obtaining this fruit, he now had the full set.

He could even swap lower-grade herbs through the Zhenhai Seven Sects for better ones.

Yet his alchemy was only peak third rank, still unable to refine the pill.

Raising it to low fourth rank would be tough; he couldn’t toss out three pills per batch as he once did.

Through the Turtle Immortal Patriarch he now controlled the Seven Sects of Zhenhai indirectly.

He could have the Zhenhai Patriarch refine the Huaying Pill instead.

That is one reason cultivators build their own forces.

Handling everything alone leaves too little time.

“Thank you, husband.” Nangong Mili’s eyes shimmered with affection.

“Xiaochan, Zhenzhen, the same goes for you. Just cultivate, I’ll handle the rest.”

Lu Changsheng turned to the other two women.

Meng Xiaochan was only fifth layer Core, far from Nascent Soul and in no hurry for its resources.

Still, his generous promise made her gaze soften.

Qu Zhenzhen, still mourning her brother and son, nodded quietly.

With the Heaven and Earth Everlasting Method she needed no Huaying Pill and cared little about speed.

She felt no hunger for the fruit, only mild curiosity about its taste.

After storing it Lu Changsheng stayed with the three for several days, then visited Yin Yuge.

He had little affection for this new concubine, yet she was his.

Besides, Yin Yuge was his bridge to the Heaven Corpse Sect.

Though his strength could already cow their sect master,

he still needed respect and sincerity to keep their cooperation.

If he slighted Yin Yuge the Heaven Corpse Sect Master might start imagining things.

Without anyone to share the burden, Yin Yuge was soon exhausted by his attentions.

Yet facing Yangming True Lord Lu Changsheng she dared only grit her teeth, never again mentioning her life-bound corpse Yin Wugou.

Afterwards.

Lu Changsheng told the silver-haired maiden, “Yuge, tell Yan Wujiang to visit the Yin Ghost Sect when he has time.”

He wanted the Heaven Corpse and Five Poisons sects to send people to collect the war spoils.

He also wished the corpse sect master to examine Bing’er’s condition.

“Mmm…” the girl answered weakly.

“It’s fine, no rush.”

Lu Changsheng soothed her, seeing how limp she was.

Once finished he sent a message to Ah Youduo, then headed to True Lord Mingsha’s cave in the sect’s depths.

“Zee-zee-zee—”

Sensing Lu Changsheng’s aura, the Soul-Taking Beast that had been snoring here woke up.

“Living the good life, are you?”

Lu Changsheng chuckled at the creature.

In its current form the beast’s strength couldn’t be judged by size or aura like other monsters.

Still, he noticed its eyes were brighter, nose larger and tail tip a deeper red.

“Zee-zee.” The beast looked adorably earnest, claiming it had been training hard.

Indeed, though asleep for two years it had digested soul crystals and ghost spirits nonstop.

“Oh? What’s your cultivation now?”

At present the Soul-Taking Beast was the only spirit pet keeping up with his pace.

It said it had reached the peak of early fourth rank and could advance if taken to the Sealing Demon Realm again.

“Tsk.” Lu Changsheng sighed; he cultivated like mad while the beast just ate and slept.

“When I have time I’ll take you to the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons.”

Traveling to the Sealing Demon Realm requires understanding the array spirit’s teleportation matrix.

Though a peak third-rank formation master, he still needed lengthy study.

Helping seal the realm meant slaying nether demons and repairing the grand array.

That huge project was beyond his present skill.

He would have to study the array spirit’s insights and the grand array itself.

So he tossed the notes to Ling Zixiao for research.

Once she mastered them he’d bring her along.

As for the realm’s dangers,

with him and the Soul-Taking Beast present it would become a blessed land rich in fortune.

“Zee-zee.” The beast knew of the Abyss.

Not as tasty as the Sealing Demon Realm perhaps, but still a fine place to feast.

“Keep watch for me, don’t let anyone disturb me.”

Lu Changsheng said, preparing to plant the Ghost Tree and practice the God-Devouring Technique.

The beast nodded and went to nap by the door.

Lu Changsheng surveyed the cave and turned to a pool of blood.

Summoning the Mountain-Moving Whip he cleared the area and murmured,

“System, extract!”

In an instant a gigantic tree appeared, rugged as a mountain ridge, bark dead black as if soaked in filthy blood and resentment.

The eerie cave filled with howls, its bark seemingly covered in wailing spirits.

The gnarled branches clawed in all directions; not a leaf grew, only heads.

Human faces, beast snouts and twisted specter visages sent chills down the spine.

“Ghost Tree…”

Even Lu Changsheng felt physically uneasy at the sight.

The faces writhed with pain and hatred, ready to swallow every soul.

That was exactly what it did.

Anyone below early Core Formation would have their mind shaken and soul drawn out.

And this was before the tree matured enough to spawn Ghost Dao Soldiers.

With those soldiers beside it ordinary Core cultivators would stand no chance.

“Looks like this Ghost Tree really does belong in the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons,”

he muttered, noting it could absorb ghost spirits as nourishment.

Planted there it would enjoy an endless supply and grow rapidly.

But it would need guarding or become a hazard.

Remaining calm, he planted it on the sect’s fourth-rank spirit vein, watering it with the blood spring.

He then sat cross-legged, the God-Devouring Technique surfacing in his mind.

The art is neither too difficult nor too easy.

The first step is comprehension.

Every art requires understanding before practice.

As a True Immortal-grade art it demands keen perception.

Most Core cultivators would struggle to grasp it fully.

But with the system’s legacy Lu Changsheng could skip that stage.

The next threshold needs Core cultivation, mid-Core divine sense and a mid third-rank body.

None of this troubled him.

Within moments he entered the state and began cultivating the art.