Chapter 377 - 23: Heavenly Grade Sha Qi: Divine Fall Evil

Chapter 377: Chapter 23: Heavenly Grade Sha Qi: Divine Fall Evil

But now, as the Sha Qi fused with his body, Zhong Ming discovered that his Roots had actually improved slightly.

’Although this is just a minuscule improvement, if I refine enough Sha Qi and Gang Qi, there might be a sliver of a chance to touch the legendary Innate Sacred Realm.’

The difference between an Innate Spirit and an Innate Divine was significant. Dragons were Innate Spirits. While such creatures weren’t exactly rare, their long lifespans, coupled with special life-preserving Divine Techniques, meant their numbers could reach the dozens, or even hundreds.

In some special eras, the number of True Dragons even reached the tens of thousands.

But Innate Divines... they were nearly unique in every era.

The Candle Dragon, for instance, was a one-of-a-kind existence in every era.

’Sha Qi alone probably isn’t enough to make my True Dragon body evolve and transform, but there’s still Gang Qi to come, and then Golden Core, Nascent Soul... As long as I take it step by step, there’s always a chance.’

Having finished refining the wisp of Sha Qi and sensing the subtle changes in his body, Zhong Ming’s mind raced.

But even as he pondered, Zhong Ming’s actions didn’t pause for a moment. The instant the first wisp was integrated, he opened his mouth again, swallowed a second wisp of Divine Fall Evil, and resumed the refinement process.

When Shen Jiuyuan saw this, he felt no pain at the loss. Instead, he nodded in satisfaction. He turned to Ji Qingyue, Ji Qinglian, and Luo Zhijing—who had come along out of concern—and chuckled. "Your eye for talent is sharp. This Zhong Ming is indeed worth investing everything in."

As he spoke, he noticed the wariness in the eyes of Ji Qingyue and Ji Qinglian. He chuckled again, a hint of pride in his voice. "And don’t worry about me trying to steal him away. A daughter of Shen Jiuyuan would not stoop to fighting you for a man."

Shen Jiuyuan spoke with absolute pride, his words ringing with conviction. And his promise did indeed ease some of the wariness in the hearts of Ji Qingyue and Ji Qinglian.

VMMMM!

While they were talking, Zhong Ming finished refining the second wisp of Sha Qi and began to devour the third.

This time, Shen Jiuyuan’s brow finally furrowed slightly.

What surprised him wasn’t the loss of resources from Zhong Ming’s refinement, but rather the process itself. ’How is this possible? The human body has limits. After refining something, even an exceptionally talented Cultivator should have to rest and regulate their breathing for a moment before continuing. Why is his refinement speed... getting faster and faster?!’

While the Celestial Sea King was still trying to understand, Zhong Ming integrated the third wisp of Sha Qi into his body.

Then came the fourth wisp, the fifth, and the sixth.

By the seventh wisp, Zhong Ming was no longer content to devour it one strand at a time. With a gesture of his hand, all the remaining Divine Fall Evil in the porcelain bottle turned into a stream of dark-red light. He swallowed it in a single gulp and forcefully activated his cultivation to refine it.

This audacious move finally prompted Shen Jiuyuan to speak up, unable to stay silent. "Zhong Ming, are you sure you’ll be fine, acting so rashly? I know you’re short on Sha Qi resources, but Divine Fall Evil isn’t that rare. Don’t risk long-term damage to your foundation for a short-term gain."

Hearing this, Zhong Ming, still in the process of refinement, moved his lips. His voice, though hoarse with the taint of Sha Qi, was exceptionally firm. "Thank you for your concern, Prince. But please, rest assured. I know my own limits and will not act recklessly."

As he spoke, the Divine Fall Evil continued to merge into his body. The previous absorptions had completely activated Zhong Ming’s Demon Star·Tai Sui Power. Now, as he integrated the Sha Qi into his body, the full might of its adaptive evolution was unleashed.

As a result, even though the amount of Divine Fall Evil Zhong Ming had just swallowed was immense, the threat it posed to him was less than that of the very first wisp he had absorbed.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the massive amount of Sha Qi was already mostly refined and on the verge of being fully integrated into his body.

The scene before him brought a conflicted expression to Shen Jiuyuan’s face, and he let out a faintly pained sigh. He had personally said that Zhong Ming could refine as much as he wanted as long as he had the strength, yet he had never imagined Zhong Ming could actually refine so much Sha Qi in one go—and the notoriously difficult Divine Fall Evil, no less.

However, after a moment’s hesitation, the Celestial Sea King did not put a stop to it.

As a Golden Core Daoist and a Prince of the Immortal Dynasty, he had his pride to consider. Since he had given his word to a junior like Zhong Ming, allowing him to absorb as he pleased, he refused to lose face by going back on it.

More importantly, the Talent Zhong Ming was now displaying had already shown him the young man’s immense strategic value.

’To absorb so much Sha Qi in one go on his first attempt... His Talent isn’t just on par with Lu Yuan’s; it far, far surpasses it.’

In these chaotic times, with a great calamity on the horizon, even he was unwilling to lightly offend such a peerless prodigy. In fact, he wanted to do everything in his power to win him over.

Besides, this Divine Fall Evil wasn’t from the Celestial Sea King’s personal stores to begin with; it was a resource allocated from the Immortal Dynasty’s public funds. He wouldn’t feel too much heartache for gifting it to Zhong Ming.

At this thought, Shen Jiuyuan took out a second bottle of Divine Fall Evil. He uncorked it, and a dense, dark-red Sha Qi immediately billowed out, completely enveloping Zhong Ming.

At the same time, a wave of curiosity surged within the Celestial Sea King, and a competitive streak emerged. ’I’d like to see just how much Sha Qi a junior like you can possibly absorb!’

Driven by this competitive spirit, Shen Jiuyuan no longer hesitated, releasing the Divine Fall Evil one bottle after another.

Then, over the time it took an incense stick to burn, Shen Jiuyuan’s expression shifted as if flipping through the pages of a book—from initial curiosity to sudden shock, and finally, from shock to utter, unconcealable astonishment!