Wet viviparity

Chapter 827 Demon Form, Childlike Technique
Suye Water City, a secluded and tranquil land of marshes.

Above the deep green, turbid waves, huge white duckweed leaves, as large as a felt mat, float on the water, stretching to the sky, shrouded in poisonous miasma.

This vast body of water, once teeming with the hissing of countless venomous snakes, is now utterly silent; even the sound of the flowing water has ceased, making it resemble a dead zone. Occasionally, a few streaks of light can be seen emerging from the deep, icy abode beneath the entrance to the water city, only to quickly return.

At this moment, deep within the mansion, an altar has been set up, with plenty of sacrificial offerings prepared, and Jiang Heixiao has been in seclusion there for a long time.

As the founder of the "Secret Record of Transformation and Mystery", Jiang Heixiao was not the first to refine a demon form through this method. This was because his condition was extremely special. He did not refine a demon form through a demon fetus, but rather through his own demon body.

Therefore, he needs to gain enough experience by observing the practitioners' methods before taking action and avoiding the risks involved.

After practicing the technique for many days, its form had become neither human nor beast. The human-shaped body sat motionless above the center of the altar, its face pale, its eyes closed, and its brows furrowed, enduring boundless pain.

Beneath his body lies the body of an enlightened yet ferocious demon.

The outline of the ferocious creature throbbed wildly beneath the thin human skin, continuously surging outwards, pushing up the skin all over its body to form a series of ever-changing, ferocious protrusions—sometimes with tiger heads and fangs fully exposed, sometimes with mane protruding like halberds, and sometimes with three heads and necks intertwined and coiled around its chest and abdomen.

Black Owl's limbs and bones began to spasm uncontrollably, his joints making a sickening "clunking" sound as they dislocated, his posture bizarre, as if he were performing a silent demonic ritual dance.

Within her lips, two magical incantations, "Warmth and Stabilize the Soul" and "Fire and Concentrate the Spirit," were chanted alternately, like singing, further enhancing the eerie atmosphere of her dance.

Outside his body, the viscous Xuan Yin Sha Water, drawn by magical power, silently overflowed, like countless cold tentacles, wrapping around and enveloping the Black Owl's flesh.

The chill penetrated into the flesh and bone marrow, freezing the pulsating, demonic forms on the body's surface. Their movements faltered slightly, and the raised areas of skin were instantly covered with pale frost. The body trembled violently, and white frost breathed out of the mouth and nose.

The fire outside the altar had been raging for a long time. The dark red, poisonous flames, like maggots clinging to bones, surged upwards along the three yang and three yin meridians, scorching the internal organs and bones.

The enlightened demon body within the Black Owl's body has been subjected to the attacks of the Water and Fire Fiends for a long time, and its ferocity has been worn away and is difficult to restore. Now it is only making a final struggle.

On the surface of the body, the throbbing suddenly intensified, the skin at the protrusions turned crimson and scalding hot, the frost instantly vaporized, and the outline of the demonic shadow beneath the skin became clearer and more violent, as if it wanted to break out of the body. The humanoid limbs twisted more violently, the sound of bones rubbing together was as dense as a torrential rain, and the demonic chant became more intense and sharp.

The enlightened demonic figure that was frantically throbbing and pulsating within the body was, after yet another futile struggle, subjected to the refining of water and fire.

The violent energy gradually receded inward, eventually converging at the lower abdomen (Dantian), forming a fist-sized, fetal-shaped protrusion.

The fetus radiated inner light, with three tiger-shaped phantoms appearing and disappearing within it, emanating a pure and terrifying demonic power that made one's heart tremble. The pulsating phenomenon on the black owl's body surface then subsided, leaving only the demonic fetus in its abdomen pulsating like a heart, reflecting a golden-red translucent glow on the surrounding skin.

Jiang Heixiao's expression remained calm, yet carried a hint of satisfaction after the "dance" had ended.

He formed a hand seal with both hands, closed all the pores of his body, and stopped breathing through his mouth and nose. He used all his essence, energy, and spirit as fuel to ignite the invisible demon-refining fire.

This true fire is colorless and formless. Only the area below the navel where the demonic fetus is located begins to blur, as if the dantian has become an invisible furnace. The pulsation on the demonic fetus instantly stops, and its entire form is being refined in the invisible fire.

As the fire was being burned, Black Owl secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're good."

The sudden sound startled Jiang Heixiao, and the invisible demonic fire almost burned through his dantian.

"Enlightened Venerable One?"

"Intelligent, quick-witted, and calm in the face of danger, you are destined for great things. I am growing to admire you more and more. It's a pity that you insist on practicing this damn magic, which has destroyed your demonic body that has already acquired a trace of my divine magic."

If it weren't for the fact that you were born on a day when I inflicted a trace of my malice upon you, which could be considered a karmic connection, I would never have awakened you at this moment.

What does "awakening" mean?

"The method you created is seriously flawed. The ash from this burning talisman must not be ingested. That's all I have to say. Take care of yourself."

Jiang Heixiao's heart trembled, as if his world was in turmoil. He never expected that the divine being Kaitian Beast would come to enlighten him because of a past connection, and even reveal the "mystery" in the "Secret Record of Transformation and Mystery".

Feeling that a trace of the celestial beast's divine sense had been withdrawn from his mind, he immediately cried out, "Grandfather, save me!" The divine sense that was about to dissipate suddenly solidified again. "You brat, you have already lost your demonic body and no longer resemble me. Why do you call me Grandfather? It's clear that you've scheming too deeply and have even abandoned all pretense of dignity. You are truly disliked and should not be paid any attention to."

"Your Excellency, please wait!"

Black Owl shouted in his mind.

Seeing that the divine sense had completely dissipated, Black Owl felt regretful that he had missed a chance to become an immortal.

Inside the mansion, the waves of hot and cold air on the altar had subsided. A fingernail-sized amount of ash from a talisman floated in the lower dantian of the Black Owl's navel, slowly dissipating into his body.

He was ultimately destined to betray the kindness of the Creator Beast.

After refining his demon form, he did not immediately leave seclusion.

His true form had long been aware of the chaotic situation outside. Currently, among the three regions, only the Southern Fire Region was experiencing fierce internal fighting. Within the Cloud and Rain Temple, the four realms under the Three Gods and Four Fiends, and even the Yuan Dan Great Demons, had been almost completely slaughtered by his true form.

Inside the Fire-Forged Mountain's Heavenly Candle Golden Court, Hong Gu was gathering experts from various sects to enter Xinjiang for a magical duel. Unfortunately, many demons and monsters had lost their courage, and even with Hong Gu's murderous coercion, they dared not enter Xinjiang to their deaths.

Ultimately, although Hong Gu is the most powerful demon in the Yunyu Temple and her cultivation is indeed unfathomable, her sudden appearance and seemingly lack of origin still leave her without a certain level of prestige.

Meanwhile, Master Lingxu gradually rose to prominence in the southern lands, from Zhexiong Prefecture to Guhe Prefecture, then to Liling, and even to the Central Plains. Everyone had heard of his past battles, and he had accumulated considerable prestige over a long period.

Right now, even inside the Yunyu Temple, different opinions have emerged regarding re-entering Xinjiang, leaving Hong Gu with no one to use and no generals to send.

Of course, she could force others into Xinjiang to serve her, but leading a group of timid soldiers to attack an elite force would be a great blessing if they didn't become a burden to her; expecting others to risk their lives was simply wishful thinking.

Inside the spiritual realm, as Black Owl mentally calculated the current situation, he arrived at a secluded alchemy room.

Inside this alchemy room, there was not a single lamp. Only deep within the furnace, a flickering ember, its dim red light barely outlining the room's contours, made the shadows on the walls appear even darker.

The air here is stagnant, a mixture of the bitter, burnt smell of medicine, the cold, pungent odor of snakes, and the stench of elixirs left after the furnace fire has died down. This strange smell permeates the air, and once inhaled, it causes a faint burning sensation in the lungs.

As the black owl entered, the dimly lit alchemy room echoed with the sound of scales scraping against the floor.

Black Owl glanced at the alchemy furnace, then followed the sound and stood in front of a giant, coiled, blue serpent.

This snake was thicker than a water bucket, with scales as black as iron. Its appearance was tragic and terrifying. Its head was missing, and the wound was open and the flesh was rolled up, but no blood flowed out. Instead, tiny fleshy buds were wriggling and bulging like red worms, as if the severed head had been regenerated.

When the serpent sensed the black owl's aura, its coiled tail unconsciously dragged slowly across the stone ground, revealing its fear and timidity.

This green snake is a rare species containing the ancient blood of the Nine Infants. Its severed head was cut off by Black Owl himself and sealed in the alchemy furnace for day and night refining. Finally, it was refined into a Daoist essence that was enough to upgrade the Yuan Yang Boy Skill.

Now that he has taken on a demonic form, he has come here to open the furnace and refine this Buddhist secret technique.

This body is nearing the time for harvest, and the original body has already considered refining the second primordial spirit. After all, the second primordial spirit refined with the Three-Three King Scripture is not a superior orthodox method, and it will inevitably suffer hidden damage after prolonged use.

When the mind is focused and thoughts are sharp, the aura around the body rises and condenses into a majestic form—the Teng Snake.

As Black Owl formed a hand seal, it circled several times outside the furnace before dispersing into wisps of energy that sank back into the furnace. With a "hum," the remaining fire in the furnace suddenly blazed brightly.

Above the furnace opening, viscous essence, drawn by the spirit, rises from within the furnace like golden fish swimming in the air.

As the essence left the furnace, it condensed upon encountering cold, transforming into specks of firefly energy. Yet, these specks carried the scorching yang energy and slowly drifted toward Jiang Heixiao. When the first wisp of essence touched his brow, his skin and flesh instantly turned red and bright, and the bones beneath his skin revealed a jade-like luster.

"The Great Wheel of Precious Skull!"

The body has already begun accumulating preparations for its future ascension to immortality.

(End of this chapter)