My Demonic Cultivation Has No Backlash, and My Childhood Sweetheart Begs for Forgiveness - Chapter 4:

Chapter 4: Frantic Pill Popping, Cultivation Returns to the Peak!

Back on his own mountain, Chu Ying began to frantically consume pills.

“One Gathering Qi Pill increases my cultivation by one-twentieth, but it also expands my Dantian by about one-thousandth.”

“As it expands, it means I’ll need more spiritual Qi to fill it completely.”

Another pill was tossed into his mouth, dissolving instantly as its medicinal power flowed into his limbs and bones, then circulated through his meridians, transforming into True Qi.

Chu Ying could already feel his Dantian expanding.

Aside from that, there were no other noticeable side effects.

“Just under thirty Gathering Qi Pills and I’ll be back at the 8th stage Spirit Sea Realm!”

Going with his estimation, Chu Ying swallowed thirty Gathering Qi Pills in one go.

If anyone had witnessed Chu Ying consuming pills like this, their eyes would have popped out of their heads in shock.

These were the extremely low-grade, black-hearted imitation Gathering Qi Pills from Hundred Pill Shop!

Whoosh!

A flash of white light surged—Chu Ying’s aura skyrocketed.

8th stage Spirit Sea Realm!

“Yes!” he shouted. “More!”

He swallowed nearly fifty more Gathering Qi Pills. His cultivation instantly rose to—

9th stage Spirit Sea Realm!

“Next is the Cave Heaven Realm.”

“I already have a Cave Heaven—one where I refined the Azure Phoenix Bone.”

“Previously, that Cave Heaven was basically ruined.”

“But now, refining the bone causes me no side effects.”

“Let’s go!”

Chu Ying swallowed another hundred Gathering Qi Pills in one breath. The immense influx of spiritual Qi reopened his half-crippled Cave Heaven.

“The Azure Phoenix is a sub-lineage of the True Phoenix, an incredibly powerful ancient beast.”

“Among the True Phoenix clan, the Azure Phoenix is renowned for its unmatched speed.”

Inside Chu Ying’s first Cave Heaven, a black-etched, ancient-looking bone hovered in midair—this was the Azure Phoenix Bone.

“When I first refined it, my Cave Heaven was ruined… Hehe.”

“Yao Ruoxi, Yao Ruoxi… You thought the Archaic Sacred Body had greater potential, and wanted to cripple me with this bone to pave the way for Ye Junfan, but in the end, I gained from the disaster!”

Chu Ying focused his mind entirely on refining it.

Half an hour later—

A peerless aura burst forth from him.

He had returned to the 1st stage Cave Heaven Realm!

At the same time, within his Cave Heaven, a divine beast with a body of lustrous green crystal, transparent like glass, was flying in circles—

The exotic beast, Azure Phoenix!

A massive stream of information surged in Chu Ying’s mind—inheritance and divine abilities from the Azure Phoenix Bone.

[Azure Phoenix Shadowstep]: The pinnacle of speed among the Azure Phoenix lineage, second only to the Kunpeng.

It can be merged with any attack or technique.

Judging by grade, this inheritance is a divine ability, classified as Heaven Grade, low tier.

“That’s right. The Azure Phoenix is a branch of the ten ancient ferocious beasts—the True Phoenix. Its bone is unimaginably precious. If Yao Ruoxi hadn’t known that the Azure Phoenix Bone was actually a discarded one, and that refining it wouldn’t form a Dharma Image but instead bring crippling side effects, she wouldn’t have gifted it to me in the first place.”

Chu Ying smiled coldly.

After refining the Azure Phoenix Bone and condensing the Azure Phoenix Dharma Image, Chu Ying found that even his physical body had strengthened to some extent.

“Continue taking Gathering Qi Pills!”

“Time to open my second Cave Heaven. With my talent, I can open at least five!”

Having just one Cave Heaven was far too common—at this stage, it carried no competitive value.

True prodigies pursued multiple Cave Heavens instead of blindly advancing through all nine minor layers of cultivation.

Most geniuses could open four to five Cave Heavens. Rare monsters might open six or seven. Anything beyond that meant you were a true phoenix among men, one in a million.

Seven Cave Heavens were almost unheard of, eight made one unrivaled, and nine were the supreme pinnacle!

Half an hour later—

The remaining two hundred-plus pills had all been consumed by Chu Ying.

Massive amounts of spiritual Qi had been refined into True Qi within him, and he successfully opened his second Cave Heaven.

“It was forced. My Dantian has already expanded by over 30%. These Gathering Qi Pills are no longer suitable for someone at the Cave Heaven Realm.”

“A single Cave Heaven with nine Dharma Images is the strongest path, but those Images vary in quality. If I open multiple Cave Heavens, I’m less restricted in forming Images—I can take my time with that.”

[Host]: Chu Ying
[Realm]: 1st stage Cave Heaven Realm (two Cave Heavens, one Dharma Image: Azure Phoenix)
[Secret Techniques]: [Azure Phoenix Shadowstep]; [Supreme Profound Scripture] First Chapter
…
[Current Side Effect 1]: Azure Phoenix Bone buff (Qi and blood decay, cultivation regression, weakened combat power, potential overdraft) (Permanent)
[Current Side Effect 2]: Extremely low-quality imitation Gathering Qi Pill buff (slowed spiritual Qi absorption, potential overdraft) (Permanent)
[Side Effect Target]: Ye Junfan
[Current Side Effect Target Count]: 1 (Maximum: 1)

“Next, time to properly cultivate this [Azure Phoenix Shadowstep].”

After glancing at his status panel, Chu Ying calmed himself and began cultivating.

…

Meanwhile.

Supreme Profound Holy Land, Peak No. 81—Holy Son Candidate Peak.

A young man with a handsome face and resolute eyes sat cross-legged, cultivating.

All around him, various spirit herbs and large amounts of spirit stones were being absorbed.

He was the newly promoted Holy Son Candidate of the Supreme Profound Holy Land—the Archaic Sacred Body, Ye Junfan!

“Young Master, the Saintess is here.”

A maid’s voice came from outside. Ye Junfan opened his eyes at once and walked out of his cultivation courtyard.

Yao Ruoxi stood in the distance, dressed in a moonlight-colored gown, pure and flawless like a celestial maiden from the Palace of Eternal Light.

“You’re here, Ruoxi.” A smile spread across Ye Junfan’s face.

Yao Ruoxi gently nodded, her voice soft and smooth, “Brother Fan, you can rest easy for the Holy Son Selection Battle in ten days.”

Ye Junfan was slightly stunned. “What do you mean?”

“Chu Ying violated the sect’s cultivation restrictions and crippled himself. He was your strongest rival, and now that he’s gone, the rest aren’t worth worrying about.”

“Really?”

“Ask around if you don’t believe me. The entire Holy Land is talking about it,” Yao Ruoxi said with a smile.

“Even so, Brother Fan mustn’t be careless. The other top five Holy Son Candidates are not much weaker than Chu Ying.”

“Hehe. My current cultivation is already at the 7th stage Spirit Sea Realm. Within the Spirit Sea Realm, no one is my match. Even if they’ve stepped into the Cave Heaven Realm, I can still deal with them.”

Ye Junfan said with confidence, “With ten more days, I’ll climb even higher. The title of Holy Son is already mine.”

“Ruoxi, thank you. I won’t let you down.”

As he gazed at the girl before him, gratefulness glowed in his eyes—but hidden deep within them was a possessive desire.

“Mm, then I won’t disturb you further.”

After Yao Ruoxi left—

Ye Junfan sent the maid to gather information, and the news returned exactly as Yao Ruoxi had said.

“I thought you’d be my strongest opponent.”

“Seems you weren’t even qualified.”

Ye Junfan shook his head and chuckled, sitting cross-legged once more to cultivate.

He took out a light purple spirit herb and murmured, “This premium Profound Spirit Flower—I got it from the Ten Thousand Beast Forest. Now’s the perfect time to use it.”

“With this, I should be able to reach the 8th stage Spirit Sea Realm.”

He took a deep breath and consumed the flower, beginning to refine its essence.

The herb’s liquid circulated within his body, rapidly turning into medicinal energy. Ye Junfan felt a clarity in his divine sea—his whole being was filled with comfort.

He was entering the state.

Half an hour later, he was nearly at the threshold of the 8th stage Spirit Sea Realm. A grin spread across his face.

Just as he prepared to break through—

The rampaging medicinal power inside him suddenly leaked out, and his Qi and blood began to wither!

“What’s going on?”

Ye Junfan’s eyes flew open, his expression changing dramatically.

He quickly circulated his cultivation technique to stabilize himself.

But things only got worse—his aura began plummeting from the 7th stage Spirit Sea Realm. The True Qi in his Dantian rotted away like sludge.

He fell all the way to the 5th stage Spirit Sea Realm!

The medicinal power meant to help him break through exploded in his meridians, shaking his internal organs violently—dozens of his meridians snapped instantly.

“Pu!!!”

Ye Junfan spat out a mouthful of blood. His face turned pale as paper, blood trailing from the corner of his lips.