Seeking Immortality in a Bizarre World-Chapter 689 - 683 Lifespan Reducing Radiance, Resources, and Traps_1

The Mimicry Phantom Body had finally taken shape after over 130 years, much longer than anticipated. Fortunately, the efforts were not in vain, and a satisfactory outcome was achieved. Jia Ren controlled the Mimicry Phantom Body, causing it to constantly change and transform into the Bizarre Demons he had encountered. At times, it became the Locust Bizarre; at others, it turned into the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre. Its appearance underwent thousands of changes, each mimicked form possessing its corresponding bizarre abilities.

This mimicry did not produce the Bizarre Demons’ most powerful forms, perhaps because the Mimic Bizarre itself was not complete and had deficiencies. The Mimic Bizarre could only mimic known Bizarre Demons, with the upper limit being the strongest form of the corresponding Bizarre Demon. For example, when mimicking the Misleading Bizarre, the resulting form would only match the known Bizarre Demon and would not be elevated to the mimicked Bizarre Demon’s inherent level. Mimicking Bizarre Demons significantly stronger than itself also did not grant their full power; the bizarre power obtained would only be a diminished version. Jia Ren was not surprised by this. After all, the Mimic Bizarre he had parasitized was merely a remnant bizarre, not a complete entity. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Could replenishing the missing parts allow it to gain even more formidable powers?

There was undoubtedly a significant difference in strength between Complete Cryptids and remnant bizarres; the power of a complete Bizarre Demon far surpassed that of one in a deficient state. If the Mimic Bizarre were to become complete, it was impossible to predict what other dangers might arise. Therefore, to be cautious, Jia Ren decided to maintain its current state. It would not be too late to attempt this after he advanced to the Mahayana Realm, when the power of the Sunlight Divine Wheel Sutra reached a higher level, further enhancing his ability to withstand risks. For now, the Mimicry Phantom Body’s current abilities were barely sufficient.

With the Trickery Path Incarnation established, the process for the Lifespan Reducing Radiance could proceed smoothly. The method was not difficult. The Mimic Bizarre would transform into the Longevity Bizarre’s form and prepare a body tailor-made for Jia Ren. The old man, a form taken by the Longevity Bizarre, would inhabit this body and strengthen it using the Treasure Light Body Refining Technique. Compared to creating the Trickery Path Incarnation, cultivating the Lifespan Reducing Radiance was much simpler. It simply required following the cultivation method of the Treasure Light Body Refining Technique, absorbing the power of the Lifespan Hex Wheel, and transforming it into the Lifespan Reducing Radiance.

The only issue was that the Mysterious Instrument could not be sent into the Demon-Sealing Spirit Tower for enhancement. Once its power was exhausted, it could not be replenished. This meant the same Mysterious Instrument could not be repeatedly used.

Replenish its expended power by sending it into the Demon-Sealing Spirit Tower? That was impossible. To be precise, the two were not part of the same power system; to the Demon-Sealing Spirit Tower, a Mysterious Instrument was merely fuel. Sending one in would be akin to adding more fuel, as if one thought the tower didn’t have enough. Everything had to revert to the normal cultivation method of the Treasure Light Body Refining Technique: if the quality was insufficient, quantity would have to compensate, relying on a large number of Mysterious Instruments to meet the requirements.

The Mimicry Phantom Body took out a Lifespan Hex Wheel and absorbed the forming treasured light. The bizarre radiance was gradually drawn out and slowly condensed into this treasured light. With this, the Lifespan Reducing Radiance had begun to take shape.

Jia Ren went to the outskirts of the Lingbao Sect to find a place for testing. He planned to test the contamination effect of the Lifespan Trickery Power, the impact of the Lifespan Reducing Radiance, and finally, test both together to confirm if his idea was feasible.

Success? He would continue to cultivate Longevity Trickster Fruit to increase the power of the Lifespan Reducing Radiance. Failure? There would be no need to waste further time; the plan for the Lifespan Reducing Radiance would be terminated.

The test quickly yielded results: the mimicked Lifespan Trickery Power reduced lifespan by 100 years per breath, while the Lifespan Reducing Radiance only managed to reduce it by ten years per breath. When both effects were combined, the Lifespan Reducing Radiance’s effect was not diminished, totaling a reduction of 110 years. The result was quite good, far exceeding his expectations. Seeing the plan succeed, Jia Ren could not help but smile.

The first stream of Lifespan Reducing Radiance had coalesced. Next was the second stream, the Dusk Treasured Light. The intensity of this second stream was double, and the upper limit of the first Lifespan Reducing Radiance also increased in tandem. Once this enhanced Lifespan Reducing Radiance was formed, each breath reduced lifespan by 40 years. Although it still did not match the Longevity Bizarre, it was already a considerable improvement. The combined effects of the Longevity Bizarre’s power and the Lifespan Reducing Radiance reduced lifespan by 140 years per breath.

The Longevity Bizarre could only grow stronger through the power of identically sourced Bizarre Demons, or if the Mimic Bizarre reached its complete state, which would make the mimicked Longevity Bizarre’s power even stronger. As more treasured lights were added in the future, enhancing the effect and range of the Lifespan Reducing Radiance, there might come a day when it could surpass the Longevity Bizarre. Not only that, but the Mimicry Phantom Body could also mimic other Bizarre Demons and use their abilities in conjunction with the Lifespan Reducing Radiance.

I need more Longevity Fruit Trees that have mutated into Longevity Trickster Fruits.

The Lingbao Sect’s treasury contained quite a few Longevity Fruits, and there were also over a dozen Longevity Fruit Trees. However, as Jia Ren’s combat power increased, so did the strength of his enemies. Longevity Gui Talismans crafted from Longevity Trickster Fruits were ineffective against Bizarre Demons. A Mahayana Stage Cultivator at full strength could kill such opponents directly, thus saving the time it would take to craft Longevity Gui Talismans. To kill a Mahayana Stage Cultivator using Longevity Gui Talismans would require consuming dozens of them, and the crafting cost was not insignificant. The Lifespan Hex Wheel, on the other hand, was practically useless, offering no real advantage. This also meant that research on Mysterious Instruments had nearly ground to a halt. Only with the emergence of the Lifespan Reducing Radiance did the Lifespan Hex Wheel finally find a use.

Creating the third stream of Lifespan Reducing Radiance would be much more troublesome. The Lifespan Hex Wheel’s effect was too one-dimensional and insufficient to serve as this third power source, necessitating the crafting of an even more powerful treasure, which would consume considerable time and effort. Many necessary materials were not yet prepared, and he still had no clear ideas for its crafting. Additionally, since this path for the Lifespan Reducing Radiance could not achieve a qualitative leap in power, it could only be set aside for now.

He put research on hold and turned his attention to cultivation. Over 130 years had passed, and the Heavenly Treasure Spirit Power accumulated in the Demon-Sealing Spirit Tower was substantial. Jia Ren returned to the Cultivation Room and, in one go, absorbed all the Heavenly Treasure Spirit Power that had accumulated over the years. His cultivation progress surged, reaching 95 percent of the way to Combined Body Perfection. Once he gathered all the treasures required for advancing to the Mahayana Realm, he could take that step further, reaching the strongest realm in the mortal world.

Jia Ren had found three types of treasures that aided advancement to the Mahayana Realm, capable of increasing the probability of success by 50 percent. However, this was still not enough to meet his requirements. The Lingbao Sect had not given up searching for such treasures, but alas, treasures of this caliber were rare in any era. Although the Mysterious Realm was recovering its vitality, it still could not produce such top-tier treasures in a short period. Medicine King Peak possessed an abundance of Elixirs and inherited knowledge, but it lacked Elixirs specifically for advancing to the Mahayana Realm. Otherwise, Medicine King Peak would not be so lacking in Mahayana Stage Cultivators.

Lacking treasures to aid advancement to the Mahayana Realm, one could only rely on oneself and leave it to fate. Cultivators of this level were existences that heaven and earth could barely tolerate. With heavenly tribulations descending, the difficulty of advancing without the aid of such treasures was immense. There were many examples within the Lingbao Sect of cultivators failing to advance to the Mahayana Realm, each a peerless genius who had reached the Body Integration Realm. They too had fallen on the path to the Mahayana Realm. With so many examples of failure before him, Jia Ren did not wish to suffer the same fate. Naturally, he did all he could to collect similar treasures to avoid a failed advancement and the resulting death and dispersal of his dao.

If such treasures could not be found in their Cultivation World, then entering other Cultivation Worlds to find these resources was the best option. Jia Ren had already identified a potential solution: Emperor Gan of the Daqian Kingdom. Emperor Gan controlled the resources of an entire realm. The fact that no one else there could advance to the Mahayana Realm implied that the corresponding resources were firmly in his grasp. The remaining progress needed for his cultivation level, even without devouring a Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasure and merely consuming Sky-reaching Spirit Treasures, was enough to reach Combined Body Perfection. With his cultivation at such a stage, it was imperative to prepare the corresponding treasures in advance, to be ready to advance to the Mahayana Realm at any moment.

The sheep has been fattened for so long; it’s time for the slaughter!

How is the situation in the Qian Realm?

A Trace Origin Immortal Spirit Jade appeared in Jia Ren’s palm, with the situations of the Three Realms recorded within it. The artifact spirit paid close attention, ensuring he would be the first to know if any problem arose. By now, the Trace Origin Immortal Spirit Jade had recovered much of its power, functioning at 70 percent of its peak capacity, making monitoring the Three Realms no issue for Jia Ren. The image of the Qian Realm on the jade expanded gradually, revealing scenes from the Daqian Kingdom.

Emperor Gan had previously taken precautions due to being spied upon. Initially, Emperor Gan had taken it very seriously, fortifying defenses to be dozens of times stricter than before to guard against potential dangers. However, it turned out to be a false alarm. As the saying goes, "One can be a thief for a thousand days, but one cannot guard against a thief for a thousand days." Over a century had passed, and they had long since relaxed their vigilance, with everything reverting to its original state. Jia Ren located Emperor Gan’s position without probing too deeply, to avoid arousing his suspicion.

The time to act has come!

After obtaining the treasure, I must return immediately and not get entangled further than necessary.

Since he had decided to deal with the Dead Immortal only after reaching the Mahayana Realm, he would not act prematurely now, lest he "capsize in the gutter." This trip to the Qian Realm was solely to acquire the treasures needed for his advancement to the Mahayana Realm, nothing more.

Jia Ren transformed into a Golden-Winged Peng Bird and flew out of the Lingbao Sect. He tore through the Void, becoming a streak of light heading towards the Qian Realm. In less than 20 days, he arrived at his destination. The Deceiving the Heavens Pearl activated. Its Eagle Claw silently pierced a pathway into the Qian Realm, allowing him to enter. He made his way towards the capital of the Daqian Kingdom. The Daqian Capital was no different from the scenes he had viewed through the Trace Origin Immortal Spirit Jade: calm and quiet. The Deceiving the Heavens Pearl, Mirror Flower Divine Moon, and the Nine-tailed Fox’s Power operated at their utmost capacity to avoid premature discovery.

Jia Ren had already identified the weak points in the formation within the Daqian Imperial Palace. He entered silently and rushed towards Emperor Gan’s location. The journey was exceedingly smooth. Soon, he caught a distant glimpse of Emperor Gan in the inner halls of the palace.

Strike now? At full strength, even if Emperor Gan possessed an Immortal Treasure, Jia Ren was confident he could defeat his opponent. If he could eliminate Emperor Gan quickly enough, he could escape with the treasures before the Dead Immortal Will had a chance to awaken. Yet, for some reason, Jia Ren had an ominous premonition. He decided to proceed cautiously and verify if there was something amiss with this individual.

His Ziyuan Divine Demon Pupil activated, a purple light emerging within his eyes as he gazed at the distant Emperor Gan. Despite the risk of exposure from probing Emperor Gan, it was better than blindly walking into a trap. His caution proved wise, as the situation was indeed different from what he expected. The person before him was not Emperor Gan, but Daqian Martial King—Emperor Gan’s avatar.

Why would the avatar disguise itself as the original? What is its purpose?

Jia Ren’s purple-golden gaze fell upon the bronze armor, where he finally noticed something peculiar. This armor possessed an imperceptible mystical power, a special energy that seemed to communicate with heaven and earth, creating a unique resonance.

If I attack, it will certainly awaken the Dead Immortal Will!

Has Emperor Gan already learned that I was the one secretly probing him?

Is this a trap prepared for me?!