Deep in a secluded valley in the Tenth Heaven, far from any disturbance and brimming with abundant spiritual energy.
Chen Ping sat cross-legged beside a spiritual spring, his body enveloped in a faint Chaos glow and an elusive dragon might.
Above the valley, the seven-coloured auspicious clouds and spiritual energy vortex that had gathered due to his breakthrough had long dispersed, restoring the former tranquillity.
Yet within his body, earth-shaking changes continued.
The Celestial Immortal realm was an entirely different level.
It was not merely an explosive increase in the total amount of power, but a sublimation of the essence of life itself, a qualitative transformation in the perception and initial application of the laws of heaven and earth.
In his dantian, the sea of Chaos Immortal Force had become even vaster. At its centre, the Chaos Fire Lotus intertwined and nourished with a trace of faint True Dragon vital blood essence, forming a more stable and powerful core of strength.
Under the baptism of the breakthrough, both his divine soul and physical body had been strengthened in all aspects. His divine sense could now cover thousands of miles, and his physical body’s toughness was comparable to a high-grade defensive treasure.
He was immersed in comprehending and consolidating this entirely new power, carefully experiencing every thread of the laws’ patterns and adapting to the mysteries of a Celestial Immortal physique.
However, this tranquillity did not last long.
“Hum…”
At the periphery of the valley, the concealment and alert formations he had casually set up transmitted a slight yet persistent fluctuation. It was not an attack, but more like a measured probing and… a call?
Chen Ping frowned slightly. He emerged from meditation, a flash of golden vertical pupils vanishing as his eyes returned to normal. His divine sense surged outward like a tide.
When his divine sense clearly saw the visitor, a trace of surprise appeared on his face.
At the valley entrance stood an unexpected figure: the Scarlet Cloud Demon Lord!
The current Scarlet Cloud Demon Lord still wore his signature dark red robe with cloud patterns, but his countenance appeared even more weathered and weary than when he had been recovering in the Ninth Heaven.
Between his brows lingered an indelible melancholy and urgency.
He was cautiously probing the formations Chen Ping had laid with his own demonic essence, without forcing entry, as if afraid of causing a misunderstanding.
“Senior?” Chen Ping’s voice passed through the formation directly into the Scarlet Cloud Demon Lord’s ears, carrying a hint of puzzlement. “How did you come to the Tenth Heaven…”
He waved his hand to dispel the restrictions at the entrance, revealing a passage.
Hearing the voice, a gleam of joy flashed in the Scarlet Cloud Demon Lord’s eyes. He quickly strode into the valley, and upon seeing Chen Ping seated by the spring, he hastened his steps forward.
“Chen Ping! It really is you!”
The Scarlet Cloud Demon Lord’s voice held some excitement, but more than that, it carried a profound sense of relief. “I have finally found you! The Tenth Heaven is vast and its auras chaotic. I followed the extremely faint lingering trace of your dragon might and signs of battle, searching for several days before locating this place.”
Chen Ping stood up, gesturing for the Scarlet Cloud Demon Lord to sit on a nearby blue stone while handing him a pot of clear tea brewed with spiritual spring water, infused with gentle spiritual energy.
“Senior, why have you left the Ninth Heaven where you guard your beloved and crossed the realm barriers to seek me in the Tenth Heaven? What is the matter?”
Chen Ping was genuinely curious. With the Scarlet Cloud Demon Lord’s status and strength in the Ninth Heaven, he would not lightly abandon his foundational territory and venture into this higher world unless it was an extraordinarily grave affair.
Moreover, the Scarlet Cloud Demon Lord still needed to watch over his beloved’s physical body, awaiting news of a possible resurrection.
The Scarlet Cloud Demon Lord accepted the teapot but had no mind to savour it, merely clutching it tightly in his hands.
He took a deep breath, looked at Chen Ping, his eyes revealing deep entreaty and barely concealed pain.
“Chen Ping, to be frank, I have come this time because… I have a favour to ask. I am at my wits’ end and had no choice but to seek you out.”
The Scarlet Cloud Demon Lord’s voice lowered, carrying a slight tremor. “It… it is for Ling Yue.”
“Immortal Lady Ling Yue?”
Chen Ping was startled.
“Indeed.”
The pain on the Scarlet Cloud Demon Lord’s face intensified. “I originally thought to guard Ling Yue’s body, awaiting that slim chance of revival.”
“However… in recent days, Ling Yue’s body… has begun showing faint, almost imperceptible signs of decay! Though extremely slow, I… I can sense the trend of vital energy slipping away and deathly aura encroaching!”
He suddenly seized Chen Ping’s arm, his grip so strong it revealed his inner anguish. “Chen Ping, you should understand that the physical body is the abode of the soul and, more importantly, the foundation for future revival!”
“If the body completely decays and the soul is lost as well, the hope of revival will become exceedingly slim, perhaps forever impossible! I… I cannot stand by and watch Ling Yue…”
The Scarlet Cloud Demon Lord could not continue. Overcome with emotion, even his breathing grew laboured.
He could not bear to watch the woman he loved have her body slowly decay, eventually vanish, leaving no possibility of ever reviving.
Chen Ping’s expression grew solemn.
Though he was not versed in ghostly path resurrection techniques, he understood the importance of preserving the body.
For a figure like the Scarlet Cloud Demon Lord to lose composure so, the situation must be truly critical.
“Senior, what do you need me to do? Is it to seek some treasure or method capable of preserving the body?”
Chen Ping asked gravely.
The Scarlet Cloud Demon Lord nodded heavily, a spark of hope igniting in his eyes. “I pored over countless ancient texts and finally learned of an ancient prescription: the ‘Nine Revolutions Body Remoulding Pill’!”
“This pill does not directly resurrect someone, but it can lock in the body’s vital energy to the greatest extent, isolate deathly aura erosion, strengthen the body, and buy invaluable time for subsequent true resurrection methods. It can even slightly nourish the body!”
“But the materials required for this ‘Nine Revolutions Body Remoulding Pill’ are all rare and priceless treasures! Several of the main ingredients simply cannot be found in the Ninth Heaven! One must go to higher-level worlds!”
The Scarlet Cloud Demon Lord took an ancient jade slip from his robes and handed it to Chen Ping. “The required main ingredients are all recorded here. Especially the Thousand-Year Ice Soul Blood Lotus of the Tenth Heaven, the Earth Core Jade Marrow Milk of the Eleventh Heaven, and the Nine Apertures Divine Soul Grass of the Twelfth Heaven! These three are the core of the cores. None can be omitted!”
Chen Ping accepted the jade slip and immersed his divine sense within.
It detailed the prescription for the “Nine Revolutions Body Remoulding Pill” along with the required materials, each annotated with properties and possible growth environments. They were indeed extraordinary treasures he had never heard of.
Those three core ingredients were particularly noted as likely to be nurtured only in specific extreme locations of their respective heavens, with extraordinarily harsh maturation conditions.
