Chapter 172: Chapter 153: Inference Pill, Mutation!

"Senior, are you interested in this Dao Image?"

Seeing the expression on Gu Yuan’s face, the young man immediately understood something and explained with a smile: "Senior may not know, this Dao Image is unique to our White Flame City. It requires a ’Dao Spirit Law Stone’ to forge its shape and is then placed in a thunderstorm through a secret technique, enduring countless lightning baptisms. Only one in ten Dao Images may develop Spiritual Nature and become an Inference Daoist Statue."

"After absorbing the Essence Blood of a cultivator, this image can simulate the cultivator’s body and aura, simulating a cultivation method, making it an excellent object for testing techniques."

"It’s both precious and ordinary, depending entirely on the cultivator’s needs. However, in the Ten Thousand Islands Sea Territory, it sells quite well. To be honest, several seniors have already set their sights on this object a few days ago."

Simulating a cultivator’s aura and form, inferring a cultivation method.

Gu Yuan indeed did not expect such a strange object to exist in White Flame City.

It was simply too fitting for his current situation.

If he had this object in hand, he could infer the Six Ren Golden Book of Alchemy and see what mysterious elements this technique truly held.

Truly, a place nurtures its people. It seems that due to the many battles in the Ten Thousand Islands Sea, various techniques emerge endlessly, with many likely possessing mysterious elements. This must be why such a strange "Trial Object" was painstakingly developed.

"Take me to this Myriad Phenomena Assembly!"

Gu Yuan immediately said to the young man in front of him.

"I’ll lead the way, but there’s something Senior should know. This Dao Image can only perform one inference. Once the inference is complete, it will shatter and cannot be reused. Additionally, if the technique is too profound and mystical, it may fail, and effectiveness cannot be guaranteed."

The young man immediately responded respectfully but still provided a reminder.

"Let’s go see first."

Gu Yuan nodded slightly, indicating his understanding, and then gestured for the young man to lead the way.

...

...

Night fell, the bright moon hung in the sky, and all was silent.

"Senior, this is Cave Mansion A on the island. It requires one hundred Spirit Stones per night. Although a bit pricey, it’s definitely worth the value, whether for cultivation or seclusion. No one will disturb you!"

The guide, a young man named Xiang Di, led Gu Yuan to a secluded Cave Mansion, handing him a Token before respectfully leaving.

Gu Yuan took the Token, activated the Array, and let his Divine Sense and Heaven-Revealing Spirit Eye flood out, carefully probing the Cave Mansion. He then placed a simple Concealing Array from the Flying Fish Market on both sides, sat cross-legged, and brought out a one-foot-tall stone statue, placing it on the ground.

Today’s auction was very smooth.

After all, having looted the possessions of three Earth Demons, Gu Yuan had some confidence in his financial strength. After a round of bidding, he secured the Inference Daoist Statue for two thousand Spirit Stones plus one Tier Two Spirit Fruit.

"Unexpectedly, I obtained this peculiar item without using the Stone Liquid. Now, I can reveal the true face of the Six Ren Golden Book of Alchemy..."

"However, to be safe, I’d better use the Stone Liquid once first..."

Gu Yuan pondered briefly, then took out the stone bottle.

If the Stone Liquid reveals a new "cultivation opportunity" more powerful than the Six Ren Golden Book of Alchemy, it might save him the chance to use the stone statue.

If the new opportunity is less powerful than the Six Ren Golden Book of Alchemy, then he can use the stone statue to infer the Dharma Pill Technique. After all, saving resources is best, and the stone statue should only be used as a last resort.

"Boom!"

Acting without hesitation, Gu Yuan took out the stone bottle and dripped out Stone Liquid. In an instant, the world spun, and the Star River flowed as the entire world turned gray again.

Countless white opportunity lights filled the Market like a Star River, dense and numerous.

There were also quite a few green opportunities, some constantly moving but mostly dim and not very noticeable.

Green opportunities were already negligible for Gu Yuan, not enough to stir his heart.

Moreover, even if these opportunities were in hand, they certainly wouldn’t surpass the Six Ren Golden Book of Alchemy, making it unnecessary.

"Forget it..."

Gu Yuan sighed slightly, shaking his head helplessly.

Mysterious Techniques are hard to find, especially those that can alter cultivation speed, which are exceedingly rare.

Having failed several times, resignation seems the only option.

"I hope it’s not an evil technique; otherwise, it’s all for naught..."

As the Stone Liquid’s effect faded, Gu Yuan looked at the stone statue on the ground, sighing inwardly.

...

...

"Drip!"

After meditating for a while and calming his Heart and Spirit, Gu Yuan flicked his fingertip, and a drop of Essence Blood suddenly flew out, landing in the stone statue on the ground.

"Rustle!"

With the Essence Blood entering the stone, the statue began to shake gently, shivering continuously as gray stone powder flew off. In the blink of an eye, it shed its stone shell, revealing a body as smooth as jade, though only a foot tall, looking extremely cute and almost identical to Gu Yuan.

"Crash!"

Seeing this, Gu Yuan didn’t dare delay. With a light finger-point, Mana surged from within him, flowing into the one-foot figure.

Spiritual Light flickered within the figure, apparently birthing apertures that continuously absorbed Mana. The entire body inflated like a balloon, quickly becoming an exact replica of Gu Yuan’s original body.

Not only that, but its Dantian held three glowing Dao Foundations and surging Mana, as if a replica of Gu Yuan.

However, its expression was dull, devoid of any emotion, with its eyes showing no Divine Light, only a silvery white color.

"The demon, ingests the Sun and Moon, refines the Circulation Profound Mechanism..."

"Two practices combined, forming a pill within..."

Yet as Gu Yuan continued to utter words of the technique, radiant light burst forth from the statue’s eyes, with a mysterious aura continuously flowing.

In its Dantian, a strange spherical object slowly formed, gleaming with lightning, looking just like that white worm of a demon insect.

"Swish!"

The statue opened its mouth, spewing the Dharma Pill to hover above its head. Instantly, Taiyin Moonlight descended, landing on the Dharma Pill.

"Boom!"

As the Moonlight fell, the Dharma Pill immediately began radiating brilliant light, continuously refining, its speed remarkably swift. In an instant, boundless Mana was refined, pouring into the statue’s Dantian.

Everything appeared without the slightest anomaly, except for the astonishing speed.

The cultivation speed of the Dharma Pill far exceeded that of the Daoist himself, also surpassing the speed at which the Demon Pill ingests Sun and Moon Essence, gulping down as Taiyin Moonlight Power continued to fall. The increase in speed was more than double!

Such cultivation speed left ordinary cultivators far behind.

Gu Yuan watched as the Mana within the statue’s body kept growing.

However, at this moment, an eerie change quietly occurred.

As the Dharma Pill ingested more Moonlight, it grew increasingly radiant, and simultaneously, the hidden Demon Qi within seemed to spread rampantly.

The Mana in the statue’s Dantian inevitably carried a trace of Demon Qi.

As time progressed, this trace of Demon Qi grew more intense, ultimately causing a transformation in the Daoist’s body as the Mana neared the breakthrough to Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment.

On its originally smooth and jade-like skin, a carapace began to grow, akin to armor, attaching itself to the statue.

On its back, bony spikes protruded menacingly, and its hair turned entirely silver-white, sitting cross-legged, appearing exceptionally eerie.