Chapter 44: The Grand Yan Heavenly Devil Pill

After spending some tender moments with Ning Wenjun, their relationship, though unspoken, grew closer. Yet it went no further than a gentle embrace, with no deeper intimacy.

Upon leaving the Five Flavors Pavilion, the matter that had weighed on his mind was finally resolved. Cao Chengyu redirected his focus to cultivation, as in the world of immortals, strength was paramount above all.

Returning to his quarters in the Skymonitor Tower, Cao Chengyu opened a basic treasure chest. A flash of golden light, and a torrent of information flooded his mind—a pill recipe called the Grand Evolution Heavenly Demon Pill.

As he studied the recipe, Cao Chengyu’s brow furrowed. Strictly speaking, this was a demonic cultivation method: using the human body as a pill furnace, planting a demonic seed in the heart’s resolve, luring the heart into darkness, and enticing heavenly demons from beyond the realm. The body, inscribed beforehand with refining demonic patterns, would merge with the demon, and after forty-nine days of refinement, a single Grand Evolution Heavenly Demon Pill could be formed.

Unlike the pill traditions of this world, this recipe had no grading system; the pill’s strength depended on the furnace’s cultivation and the power of the summoned demon. The process was deeply demonic, but its effects were extraordinary: it could greatly enhance a cultivator’s spiritual consciousness and mental strength. In the path of cultivation, there is a saying about the Three Flowers—essence, energy, and spirit. To achieve perfection in all three is to attain the form of a true immortal. Maintaining this perfection from the lowest to the highest realms would grant one unmatched strength and a solid foundation for limitless future prospects.

The Huangting Scripture, which Cao Chengyu practiced, cultivated his energy; the Mountain Lord’s Regret Technique trained his body, fulfilling the essence. Yet he still lacked a method for the spirit, to strengthen his divine sense and achieve the convergence of the Three Flowers.

It had been said before that the treasure chests would yield what best aided Cao Chengyu’s cultivation. The Grand Evolution Heavenly Demon Pill was indeed useful, but he still needed a technique to train his spirit. Perhaps it might be found with the Pill Master Miaodan...

Though this recipe was of a demonic nature, Cao Chengyu believed that there was no inherent good or evil in the art—only in the heart of the practitioner. Using the most heinous criminals as ingredients for the Grand Evolution Heavenly Demon Pill could be considered a fitting retribution. Of course, the line must be carefully maintained; otherwise, one might succumb to the influence of the demons and fall into darkness.

The Skymonitor Tower knew little about the heavenly demons. The “Hundred Solutions to Cultivation” did contain some records. The outer realm demons cultivated the path of the mind, feeding on the myriad emotions and desires of sentient beings. The stronger the soul of the cultivator, the more intense the emotions and desires they exuded, making them more likely to attract the attention of powerful demons. The path of the mind was mysterious, and few cultivators specialized in it.

This was largely due to the difficulty of even entering the discipline, let alone making progress. Among mortals, there were those who had endured countless hardships, surviving endless calamities—their minds were truly exceptional. Some great cultivators believed that the mind was a person’s will: formless and intangible when weak, but strong enough to alter the laws of heaven and earth when powerful, able to bend all to one’s will.

Yet this was not the whole story. The mind, the will, the spirit, and even the soul were all closely linked, but there were too few methods to cultivate this path, and systematic research was lacking. The Hundred Nations Domain, being remote, rarely produced such individuals. Thus, when possessed by heavenly demons, more than ninety percent perished, adding to the demons’ fearsome reputation.

The Grand Evolution Heavenly Demon Pill, which used heavenly demons as the main ingredient to refine a pill that strengthened the spirit, was truly rare.

Once he had fully absorbed the information, Cao Chengyu mastered the refining method and prepared to visit the Six Gates, one of the three branches under the Skymonitor Tower.

The Six Gates were responsible for public security, and their headquarters in the capital held many heinous criminals. Cao Chengyu could, under the pretense of testing a new pill, request one or a few criminals at the Spirit Refining level.

Alchemists held high status, and testing new recipes always required test subjects. For harmless pills, disciples or followers might be used, but for poisonous or explosive pills, death row prisoners were necessary. Each alchemist in the Skymonitor Tower was allotted a certain number of such subjects annually—Cao Chengyu, an official Grade One Intermediate Alchemist, was allowed one to three deaths each year.

Thus, he could test the pill’s effects. If successful, he could seek more sources; if not, he would abandon the idea.

However, upon presenting his credentials at the Six Gates prison, he was surprised to learn that while prisoners could be used for pill testing, they could not be removed from the prison. The test would have to be conducted in their cells, under supervision, to prevent escape or deception. If the alchemist’s cultivation vastly outstripped the prisoner’s, they could remove the subject for three days, but a complete body had to be returned, dead or alive.

If testing poison, prior notice was required, and an observer would be present. In sum, every precaution was in place. There were no loopholes for Cao Chengyu to exploit.

The refining of the Grand Evolution Heavenly Demon Pill could not be witnessed by others; when the “furnace” was consumed in the process, there would be no corpse to return. Clearly, he needed another plan.

After much deliberation, Cao Chengyu could find no good solution—unless he took on demon-hunting tasks outside and captured criminals himself. Otherwise, he would not be able to obtain the necessary materials.

But venturing out was too dangerous. His rapid rise and growing fame in the capital had already drawn attention. Wait...

Perhaps he could bait his prey?

Yes—those coveting his secrets were surely ill-intentioned. Even in a place like the capital, darkness lurked beneath the surface, with many demonic spies and traitors hidden from view. There were even hypocrites among the righteous.

The challenge was ensuring the angler’s safety. If a truly formidable foe appeared, he lacked the strength to cope. This would require careful planning.

With this resolved, Cao Chengyu returned to his cultivation, refining the Hundred Rivers Pill to strengthen his spirit, and practicing the Mountain Lord’s Regret Technique, devouring flood dragon flesh to hasten his body's refinement.

Half a month passed thus, and his cultivation in both spirit and body advanced noticeably. Most importantly, news arrived from Ning Que—he was to visit the Ning family to choose a Five Elements spiritual treasure.

With the Five Elements treasure finally within reach, the Heavenly Scented Spirit Cat had not lost its usefulness. On future journeys, it would be a lucky charm and precious companion, also serving to speed his cultivation. In any case, it was a gain with no loss.

After preparing his attire, Cao Chengyu left the Skymonitor Tower and made his way to the Ning estate.

As expected, Ning Que greeted him, accompanied by Ning Wenjun and an elderly housekeeper of the Ning family—white-haired and dark-faced, not particularly friendly, which was understandable, given that Cao Chengyu was there to claim a treasure. Courtesy would have been more surprising, and his genuine demeanor was almost endearing in its honesty.

On the way to the Ning family’s treasury, Ning Wenjun explained the functions of various buildings, while Ning Que interjected with sarcastic jibes at Cao Chengyu. He was unbothered, treating it as the buzzing of a mosquito. Ning Wenjun, however, grew annoyed, and after scolding Ning Que soundly, he finally quieted down.