Chapter 677: A Path of Ascension!

"The fact that the Thunder Immortal Formation didn't obliterate everything outright this time around is more of a good thing than a bad thing. Now, nothing will go to waste."

After Yun Xiao and Pale Revenant absorbed their share, all the blood was saved for the War Princess.

Utilizing the Mortal Dust Blood Calamity, the War Princess transformed an immense amount of blood from the slain devils, demons, and Immortals into pure Mortal Dust Devil Blood. She gathered it within her body, constantly fostering the growth and advancement of her own vitality.

Among some of the blood absorbed, some contained Seeds of Creations, enhancing her innate talents.

Undoubtedly, the War Princess was now a giant blood bag, her vitality astonishing.

Of course, being a devil with a physique comparable to a demon, mere vitality wasn't enough—she needed to temper her body to maximize her advantages.

The War Princess had two methods to forge her seven-foot frame.

First, like Moon Fairy, she used Desolate Essence to temper her constitution.

Second, she employed the Mortal Dust Blood Calamity, burning her Mortal Dust Devil Blood to refine her body.

This dual approach deepened the effects.

Her physical potential might not match Moon Fairy's Divine Desolation Physique, but at the very least, it surpassed Yun Xiao's own Primordial Martial Dao. It was also far superior to Cao Shuo’s physique, which Yun Xiao had forcibly created through the Yin-Yang Primordial Thunder Furnace.

In short, in terms of celestial power capacity, the Primordial Void surpassed the Mortal Dust, which in turn surpassed the Divine Desolation. And the reverse was true, when it came to each technique's impact on the flesh and blood.

As for the Buddha's Treasure Art ability to enhance spiritual power, it stood completely independent from the Primordial Void, Mortal Dust, and Divine Desolation.

BUZZ!

In a valley within the Celestial Devil Abyss, a viscous mist of blood churned and roiled in the sky.

The Mortal Dust Devil Blood formed a crimson storm, swirling around the War Princess' tall, fiery figure.

Then, after a long time, the pervasive blood mist merged entirely into that alluring shadow.

Under a dim glow, the figure rose, her skin flush red, her face and waist dyed as if she had indulged in much wine.

"The blood of over 3,000 demon, devil, and Immortal powerhouses… It was enough to blitz through several major realms, forge a golden astral body for the Mortal Dust Spirit, and reach the Golden Immortal Realm…" the War Princess muttered in a daze.

The cultivation realms for demons and devils in the Third Dao Tribulation were quite similar to humans.

Although within the Celestial Devil Abyss, the Golden Immortal Realm was termed the Golden Devil Realm, in truth, there was no difference.

"You have me to thank for that, nurturing the Mortal Dust Devil Heart through you…" Yun Xiao declared irritably.

Whether it was Moon Fairy or the War Princess, the one behind the wheel was Yun Xiao himself. Otherwise, with the War Princess' experience and enlightenment, lacking a strong Dao Heart, how could she have broken through so swiftly with mere blood refinement?

As for the appearance of the War Princess' spirit… Through the Mortal Dust Devil Seed, Yun Xiao gazed at the Mortal Dust Spirit nestled within the heart of the War Princess... It was an amalgam of his own mortal self and the War Princess!

How to put it? It somewhat resembled a child born between Yun Xiao and the War Princess, genderless and peculiar.

Yet, once the spirit manifested, this Mortal Dust Spirit would transform!

It would morph into a blend of the Creator Immortal and the War Princess, key being, its astral body would sprout a thick coat of red hair, cloaking its entire form, turning into a Red-Haired Immortal Deity!

This spirit, born from the soul of the War Princess, naturally bore her characteristics. She could command and manifest it too. However, the cultivation source was still Yun Xiao's Blood Base.

This spirit also was anchored to the Blood Base; should the Blood Base move, the Mortal Dust Spirit would follow suit.

The same held true for Moon Fairy.

"Really..." the War Princess pouted, slightly annoyed, "Are you insinuating that I’m not smart?"

"I'm stating it plainly," Yun Xiao said.

"You blunt asshole..." the War Princess muttered under her breath, biting her lip, "With your terrible temperament, I really don't know why so many women like you."

"Don't you?" Yun Xiao asked.

"I wish this Blood Base were mine, and I were 180,000,000 miles away from you," she replied.

"A 180 million miles away, huh? That's not too far; I'd get there in a blink of an eye."

"Get lost..."

The War Princess didn't even want to deal with him. Yet, in her heart, she understood better; Yun Xiao was more admirable than she imagined, otherwise, why would she dare to bicker with him?

Standing up, the War Princess twisted her body, the vast ocean-like Mortal Dust Devil Blood within her granting the strength to shatter the Primordial Ruins with a single punch, and under the refinement of the Blood Calamity, her fleshly body was also naturally strengthened...

It was as if she was constantly, effortlessly gaining strength while doing nothing and laying in bed.

"Good thing he still needs me to maneuver the body in battle, otherwise, all of this would have nothing to do with me," the War Princess thought to herself. "Hmm?"

Just then, Yun Xiao asked her to keep it down.

"Use your spirit to look to the east," he instructed.

"Understood." The War Princess' spirit, unmanifested, headed eastward. Soon after, in that direction, she spotted a devil.

"Do you recognize him?" Yun Xiao asked.

"No, but he seems pretty badly injured. He's barely clinging to life, with wounds all covered by blood serpents," she reported.

"It's the Shadow Devil," Yun Xiao said. "This is your chance to get close to the Devil Eye. Approach him, and then say what I've told you to."

"Got it!" The War Princess felt no pressure at all. Her life could be summed up in a phrase—

No need for brains

. She grew stronger by simply lying flat, and she did whatever he asked without thinking.

Her Yin Devil form soared into the air, heading east.

Before long, she laid eyes on the Shadow Devil.

His legs were severed, his body charred, lying on the ground, barely clinging to life.

"Lord Xiu." The War Princess hurried over, her face showing concern as she asked, "How did you get so gravely injured?"

The Shadow Devil Xiu opened his eyes, puzzled. He glanced at her and said, "Do you know me?"

"Lord Xiu's name is known to all in the Celestial Devil Abyss," she replied. Then, slightly nervous, she added, "Forgive me, Lord Xiu. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Yao Yao, from the Dark Yin Devil Sect, a Yin Devil."

"Enough with the introductions. I can already tell you're a Yin Devil!" Xiu said, his eyes beginning to glaze over. Clenching his teeth, he said, "Stop talking, and take me to the great Devil Eye!"

After speaking, his breath weakened, as if he had entered a dormant state, losing all sound.

His wounds began to slowly heal, and his body coalesced into a black spherical form.

"Take him," Yun Xiao said.

"How should I carry him? I don't want to touch him," the War Princess whispered.

"This is the Shadow Devil's dormant state. His spirit has fallen into a deep slumber. Just stuff him in a net and go," Yun Xiao instructed.

"That makes sense... But why does he trust you so much?" the War Princess asked.

"He doesn’t trust you; it's just that here in the Celestial Devil Abyss, no devil would rob him while he's down. He's a favored one before the Devil Eye," Yun Xiao explained.

"What exactly is the Devil's Eye?" the War Princess asked as she netted the Shadow Devil with a blood net.

"You'll see it with your own eyes soon."

"Always keeping secrets." The War Princess rolled her eyes.

She had spent her time in the Celestial Devil Abyss, brushing up on its lore and forging her identity. Now, with her power somewhat secured, it was time to try penetrating the inner circle of power in this territory

Meanwhile, Moon Fairy had hitched a fast ride with the Lunar Demon Cavern, and on this front... honestly, Yun Xiao was reluctant to let the War Princess trade on her looks to get by.

So, the progress here was slower, needing Yun Xiao's direct intervention to refine the blood of those demons, devils, and Immortals.

As for Moon Fairy, well, his body double could handle most things that came his way… Of course, he still had his limits, like the Great Mother; that was a supremely decaying corpse.

?ι══????????══ι?

So, the War Princess dragged the Shadow Devil, crossing the dim lands and rivers of the Celestial Devil Abyss, making her way to the core of this realm.

"This place feels oppressive," the War Princess mused, a hint of sorrow in her voice. "It's as if the world might crumble at any moment."

She saw the devils of this place as her kin, struggling to survive in such chaos, and it pained her.

"That's why they covet the Great Dao Celestial Court," Yun Xiao replied.

"Why should your human realms naturally possess better lands? If the devils are strong, they should get to claim a turn," the War Princess retorted, biting her lip.

Yun Xiao paused, then said, "You have your logic, but the reality is that you serve a human now."

"Stop it, you're not even human," the War Princess shot back.

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Oh? And what, pray tell, do you think I am?" Yun Xiao asked.

"You're a monster," she snorted.

Yun Xiao almost thought she had stumbled upon the truth—that he wasn't purely human.

Was he really human? Even Yun Xiao himself was not sure.

He looked out over this gray world and its diverse devils, then said, "Compared to the Celestial Devil Abyss, the Celestial Demon Abyss is far worse. That place is like purgatory, reeking of decay, where all demons are but fodder for the Great Mother. Here, at least, the devils have a will of their own."

"That place is that vile?" Without comparison, the War Princess felt this place might not be so bad after all.

At least here, the celestial energy was rich, birthing countless celestial devils. The resources here far surpassed that of the mortal realm.

"If one must compare, then truly no place under heaven is ideal," Yun Xiao said.

"Will you eventually destroy the Celestial Devil Abyss?" the War Princess asked.

"Why would I destroy this place?" Yun Xiao queried.

"Because it houses your enemies," she pressed.

Yun Xiao shook his head, saying, "That's not necessarily true."

"How so?" the War Princess asked, puzzled.

"The higher-ups of the Celestial Court, the ones pushing the incense offerings… those people are my number one enemies.

"Then there's the Chaos Sovereign, who sees me as a threat to his reign. He's the second on the list.

"And the Great Mother of the Celestial Demon Abyss, her existence condemns all demons to a hellish existence, and she also forbids me from cultivating corpse demons, making her number three.

"As for the Celestial Devil Abyss... sending you to meet the Devil Eye is to determine whether this place will be my enemy or ally. Currently, there are no conflicts of interest between me and the Celestial Devil Abyss." Yun Xiao spoke earnestly.

Who wouldn't want more allies? The first three enemies were entrenched; reconciliation was impossible!

So, Yun Xiao was not inclined to hastily make endless enemies. He was willing to give the other side a chance! At least, he had not heard of the devils engaging in incense offerings.

"Okay," the War Princess said, a spark of resolve in her eyes. "Then, I know what I must do."

"Let’s hear it," Yun Xiao said.

"To prevent them from becoming your enemies as much as I can, of course. I am a devil, marked by my clan, loving the devil blood that flows within me, and I too hope for a path of ascension for all my kin," she declared passionately.