Chapter 430 - 397: Divine Shadow Pill

Chapter 430: Chapter 397: Divine Shadow Pill

True Understanding Pavilion.

In the rear courtyard, an Array Prohibition sealed the area off from the outside world. While Xu Yuan was still seated cross-legged, breaking through to Foundation Establishment, Chu Mu sat alone by the door, a Jade Scroll in hand, his mind wandering.

After an unknown amount of time, a glimmer of awareness returned to his distant eyes. His gaze shifted, once again settling on the Jade Scroll in his hand.

There were two Jade Scrolls. One recorded the details of the Sealing Demon Array within the East Lake Secret Realm.

The Grand Array was a Tier Four formation. According to the Jade Scroll, it was far beyond his ability to comprehend.

But from what he remembered seeing, he wasn’t sure if the Grand Array was damaged, but its Mighty Power had definitely been severely diminished.

After all, when he had entered that sea of fire, more than half of it had already been corrupted by True Demon Qi, turning it into Demon Flame!

A Sealing Demon Array that used the sea of fire as its foundation would inevitably be riddled with flaws and severely damaged after such extensive corruption.

He was powerless against a complete Tier Four Array. But if it was a damaged one, breaking through it would be difficult, but not entirely impossible.

However, he wasn’t in the mood to study the Grand Array at this moment.

The other Jade Scroll, which recorded a Pill Recipe, had captured his full attention.

He waved his hand, and a Jade Box several feet long appeared before him.

The Jade Box was covered in multiple layers of seals and hadn’t been opened in many years.

With another wave of his hand, Chu Mu broke the seals. The long, slender body of a white fish appeared in his sight.

The fish’s body was pure white. Though it had been dead for many years, it still seemed to emit a faint, white fluorescent glow.

The fish was about a meter long and looked just like a hairtail fish from his past life.

A pure white, slender hairtail that glowed with a faint fluorescence—a fish from the East Lake Secret Realm, obtained through a serendipitous encounter all those years ago!

"Divine Shadow Diao..."

Chu Mu murmured, a distant look in his eyes.

He still clearly remembered the fear of being startled by this fish at the bottom of the lake in the East Lake Secret Realm, and the subsequent joy upon learning what it was.

But despite studying it repeatedly, he had never figured out how this fish could mimic the Cultivation aura of a different realm, and how it could do so so seamlessly!

After reaching the Vast Sea, he had made many inquiries but had never heard any news about this fish.

The fish was magical, and he was unwilling to waste it, so he had kept it in his Storage Ring, untouched.

He never expected that after years of fruitless searching, the answer would be delivered right to his doorstep today.

A Jade Scroll, a Pill Recipe. This Divine Shadow Diao was the main ingredient for that recipe.

Using the Divine Shadow Diao as the core ingredient, one could refine the Divine Shadow Pill.

The principle behind it was similar to that of the Heavenly Deceit Pill.

The only difference was that the Heavenly Deceit Pill simulated a completely different Divine Soul Aura.

The Divine Shadow Pill, on the other hand, used the unique properties of the Divine Shadow Diao to perfectly mimic a Cultivation aura.

Mimicking a Cultivation aura wasn’t difficult. In the Cultivation Immortal Realm, plenty of Magic Techniques could conceal one’s Cultivation.

But such concealment and mimicry were all based on the principle of illusion.

The Divine Shadow Pill, however, thanks to the Divine Shadow Diao’s special bloodline, was a perfect and seamless deception.

This Divine Shadow Diao had a Tier One Cultivation. The Divine Shadow Pill refined from it could perfectly mimic any Cultivation level from Tier One to Tier Two.

The True Demon’s plan was undoubtedly clear.

It would use the Divine Shadow Diao to refine the Divine Shadow Pill, mimic a Cultivation in the Qi Cultivation Realm, slip into the Secret Realm undetected, and then break the Sealing Demon Array.

’I was careless...’

Chu Mu murmured to himself, a hint of regret in his voice.

Back then, when he made the deal with the Residual Soul, he had been extremely wary. But after Jingmen was destroyed, he had started carrying the demon’s bloodline vessel with him, nourishing it with blood-offerings. This had clearly allowed the Residual Soul to spy on him and learn many of his secrets.

Otherwise, it would never have known about the existence of the Divine Shadow Diao.

And this current transaction would never have happened.

He had already been forced to swear a Dao Heart Oath, so any thought of seeking outside help was now impossible.

As his thoughts raced, Chu Mu stared at the Divine Shadow Diao. He suddenly seemed to think of something, and a bright light flashed in his eyes.

’Perhaps...’

His eyes lit up as the scenes from his time in the Secret Realm resurfaced in his mind.

’One thing is certain: the Secret Realm does not permit the entry of any Cultivator above the Qi Cultivation Realm. This is a restriction that not even a Nascent Soul Cultivator can break.’

’After all, if it could be broken, the Longevity Sect would have sent a Nascent Soul into the Secret Realm long ago.’

’So...’

’Even if this Pill is refined and used to enter the Secret Realm, one cannot use any Magical Cultivation exceeding the Qi Cultivation Realm...’

’If that’s the case...’

A slight smile touched Chu Mu’s lips. When he looked at the Pill Recipe again, the gloom that had settled over him instantly vanished.

Misfortune and fortune are two sides of the same coin. What seemed like a disaster might just turn out to be a blessing.

’I haven’t forgotten about the Inheritance Land of the Immortal Dao Sect inside that Secret Realm, or that Illusory World that could be called a Supreme Treasure of a civilization...’

’If I can enter it again and obtain that monumental opportunity, many of the problems I’m currently facing in my Cultivation will be solved with ease!’

He shot to his feet and began pacing back and forth in the courtyard, silently weighing the potential fortunes and misfortunes of this venture.

Nearly an entire hour passed before he finally stopped.

With a wave of his hand, two surveillance projections appeared.

The "old acquaintances" from Qili Village and the foolish-looking young man were all being housed on the second floor of the True Understanding Pavilion.

The images in the projections were perfectly clear, showing all three of them.

The male and female Cultivators from Qili Village were seated in their room, both cross-legged with their eyes closed as if resting their minds.

The foolish-looking young man, however, just sat there blankly, his eyes still vacant, maintaining his "foolish" appearance.

Chu Mu observed them for a moment, and a bold speculation suddenly surfaced in his mind.

He recalled meeting a young girl in the Inheritance Land of the Immortal Dao Sect within the East Lake Secret Realm. According to her, she was also from the so-called Great Heng.

Considering the vast distance between the Great Heng and the Great Chu, that girl obviously couldn’t have entered the Secret Realm through normal means.

’When the Secret Realm abruptly vanished afterward, could it have been related to that girl, or perhaps to the Great Heng?’

’The True Demon is from the Great Heng. Could it have learned about the Secret Realm and the Demon Realm from these two people from Qili Village, and then returned to the Great Heng to gather more information?’

’And in doing so, exposed its tracks, leading to the extermination of its clan...’

’If that’s the case, everything seems to make sense.’

’Otherwise, how could the True Demon have suddenly located a Secret Realm that no one in the entire Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World could find a trace of?’

’Not to mention, it seems so confident about it.’

After a moment of thought, Chu Mu didn’t dwell on it any longer.

The oath was sworn. If things were truly as he suspected, then his safety during this transaction would be guaranteed, and he might even stumble upon an opportunity.

What he needed to do now was prepare some trump cards, to keep a few tricks up his sleeve.

That way, if something unexpected happened, he would have a way to protect himself.

With his mind made up, Chu Mu waved his sleeve, dismissing the projections. He then strode into the room, and as the door closed, a flicker of Great Sun True Flame emerged.

’Refining the Divine Shadow Pill isn’t difficult. And with my Alchemy Skill, subtly tampering with it won’t be hard either...’

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