I've already become a god, and you're telling me about the ancient demon invasion?

Kunwu Mountain, inside the temporary cave dwelling assigned to Wang Tianlong.

The cave dwelling was located in a secluded spot halfway up the mountain, rich in spiritual energy. Although not luxurious, it was quiet and well-protected. After setting up several warning formations, Wang Tianlong couldn't wait to take out the jade slip used to exchange battle merits and immersed his divine sense into it again to study it carefully.

This time, his gaze no longer lingered on those ordinary pills and magical treasures, but instead locked onto the top-tier treasures and secret techniques marked "related to Void Refinement" deep within the jade slip.

Soon, two things firmly attracted his attention.

The first one is a secret technique called "The Secret Record of the Five Elements Transformation".

The jade slip explains that the core of breaking through to the Void Refinement stage lies in "the unification of the five elements and the transformation of spirit into emptiness." For cultivators born with five spiritual roots, the balance of the five elements within their bodies makes this step relatively easy. However, for cultivators with a different spiritual root (wind spiritual root) like Wang Tianlong, as well as other cultivators with single or dual spiritual roots, the five elements within their bodies are incomplete. Forcing a breakthrough is tantamount to courting death.

This "Five Elements Transformation Secret Record" is a breakthrough technique specifically prepared for those with unusual spiritual roots and those whose five elements are incomplete.

A look of delight flashed in Wang Tianlong's eyes. His biggest worry had been that his wind spirit root attribute would become the biggest obstacle to breaking through to the Void Refinement stage. Now, the appearance of this secret technique had solved his biggest concern.

However, when his gaze shifted downwards and he saw the battle merit points required for the exchange, Wang Tianlong couldn't help but gasp: 30,000 battle merit points!

The second item is a pill called "Black Flame Pill".

The description of this pill is even more astonishing: "It originates from a secret elixir of the Black Phoenix Clan in the Spirit Realm, made primarily with Black Phoenix True Flame, supplemented with dozens of rare spiritual materials. Its medicinal properties are domineering and intense, capable of greatly stimulating a cultivator's potential, tempering their magical power and physical body, and having a miraculous effect on breaking through the bottleneck of the Void Refinement stage."

"Black Flame Pill... It seems to have been mentioned in the original work; it is indeed a sacred medicine for breaking through to the Void Refinement stage!" Wang Tianlong was shocked. The effect of this pill was even more powerful than he had imagined. Although the notes mentioned that the medicine was domineering, he cultivated the "Wind-Treading Technique," and his physical body had been tempered by wind spiritual power for many years, making it far stronger than others of the same level. This pill was perfect for him.

But its price is even more astonishing: 100,000 battle points!

Wang Tianlong frowned slightly as he looked at the prices of the two treasures, quickly calculating in his mind.

"I currently have 5,000 battle merits, plus the unsettled merits from the battle of Chaotic Star Sea (estimated to have killed several Nascent Soul Ancient Demons, bringing the total to around 20,000), which should be close to 30,000. That should be enough to exchange for the 'Five Elements Transformation Secret Record.' But the 'Black Flame Pill'... I'm still far from enough."

One hundred thousand battle merits meant he needed to kill at least ten ancient demons at the late Nascent Soul stage, or complete several extremely dangerous and difficult missions. This was by no means an easy task.

"However... it's always good to have a goal." Wang Tianlong quickly adjusted his mindset, a determined glint in his eyes. "The 'Five Elements Transformation Void Secret Record' is fundamental; I must exchange for it as soon as possible. As for the 'Black Flame Pill,' that can be a future goal. With these two items, my chances of breaking through to the Void Refinement stage will greatly increase!"

Without further hesitation, he added the "Five Elements Transformation Secret Record" to his "Pre-Exchange" list. He would exchange it as soon as the battle merits from the Ten Thousand Demon Valley were tallied.

"Next, we need to familiarize ourselves with the environment of Kunwu Mountain as soon as possible, take on missions that require high merit, accumulate merits, and improve our strength!" Wang Tianlong put away the jade slip, his gaze becoming sharp.

He knew that to obtain precious resources on Kunwu Mountain, one had to pay a price. And for him, the best price was that the Ancient Demon could increase the number of hits the system could count.

He sat down cross-legged and began to regulate his breathing, adjusting himself to his optimal state.

The far north, the Little Palace.

The cold wind howled, and snow fell everywhere. This land, which is covered in ice and snow all year round, was now engulfed in war.

Led by the Ice Fairy, the cultivators of the Lesser Extreme Palace joined forces with the spirit realm cultivators who came to their aid. Relying on their familiarity with the extreme cold environment and their powerful ice-based magical abilities, they successfully repelled the ancient demon's attack. On the battlefield, the ancient demon's corpses were frozen into ice sculptures, scattered across the snowfield, silently testifying to the ferocity of the battle.

After the battle, in the main hall of Xiaoji Palace, Fairy Bingpo was sitting opposite the leader of the Spirit Realm cultivators who had come to provide support—a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator named True Man Hanyue.

Master Hanyue had white hair and beard, a gaunt face, and exuded a faint chill, clearly indicating that he was a powerful figure proficient in ice-based magic. He greatly admired Fairy Bingpo's performance in this battle.

"Fellow Daoist Bingpo's 'Mysterious Ice Jade Soul Technique' truly lives up to its reputation. In this extremely cold place, its power is even more amplified." True Person Hanyue stroked his beard and praised, "If it weren't for Fellow Daoist's familiarity with the terrain, it wouldn't have been easy for us to repel the ancient demon so smoothly."

"You flatter me, Master." Fairy Bingpo's expression was calm, her voice as cold as ice. "This is the place that Xiaoji Palace has protected for generations, and it cannot be defiled by demons. It is thanks to you, Master, and other fellow Daoists from the Spirit Realm, who have come from afar to provide support. On behalf of everyone in Xiaoji Palace, I, Bingpo, thank you for your great kindness."

"Fellow Daoist, there's no need for such formalities. Fighting against the ancient demons is the duty of us cultivators." True Person Hanyue waved his hand, his expression turning solemn. "However, the scale of this ancient demon invasion far surpasses that of the past. According to the intelligence we obtained from the Spirit Realm, it seems that a Saint Ancestor-level figure from the Demon Realm is plotting behind this demonic calamity."

"Saint Ancestor level..." Ice Soul Fairy's pupils contracted slightly. Although she had never been to the Demon Realm, she knew what Saint Ancestor level meant; it was a terrifying existence comparable to the Great Ascension stage of the Spirit Realm.

"Indeed." Master Hanyue nodded. "Moreover, it is rumored that this Holy Ancestor's goal is not simply to conquer the human realm. She seems to be searching for something..."

Ice Soul Fairy's heart stirred, and thoughts of the Void Heaven Palace and the Heavenly Cauldron True Man's inheritance flashed through her mind, but her face remained calm: "Oh? I wonder what it is that could cause the Demon Realm's Holy Ancestor to go to such lengths?"

"We don't know exactly what it is," Master Hanyue shook his head. "But what is certain is that this thing is of vital importance to the human realm, and even to the spirit realm. Otherwise, the Demon Consort Linglong and the Venerable Xuangu would not have personally descended to the mortal realm and brought so many reinforcements."

After a moment of silence, the Ice Soul Fairy slowly said, "In that case, this war will probably not end easily."

"Indeed." Master Hanyue sighed. "The human realm has now become the center of the storm. Although we cultivators of the spirit realm can temporarily stabilize the situation, if we want to completely defeat the ancient demons, we still need top cultivators like Fellow Daoist Bingpo, who are the hope for the future of the spirit realm."

He stared intently at the Ice Soul Fairy: "Judging from your cultivation, fellow Daoist, you have reached the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage, only one step away from the Void Refinement stage."

"Breaking through to the Void Refinement stage is no small matter and requires thorough preparation. We will seek guidance from the True Immortal once the fighting here has subsided."

"Very good." Master Hanyue nodded in satisfaction. "Kunwu Mountain has now become the headquarters of the human realm's allied forces, where the Demon Consort Linglong and Venerable Xuangu are overseeing the overall situation. Once the situation in the far north stabilizes, you might consider making a trip to Kunwu Mountain. There you will find not only more like-minded people but also various resources from the spirit realm, which will surely benefit your cultivation."

"Kunwu Mountain..." The Ice Soul Fairy's eyes flickered, and she had made up her mind. Perhaps more clues to the secrets of the Void Heaven Palace could be found in Kunwu Mountain. Moreover, if she could break through to the Void Refinement Realm with the help of the Spirit Realm's resources, she would have more power to protect herself in this chaotic world.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master. I will remember it." Fairy Bingpo bowed slightly.

After discussing the defenses of the far north for a while, Master Hanyue took his leave to inspect other strongholds.

The Ice Fairy stood alone at the highest point of the Little Extreme Palace, overlooking the silver-clad, snow-covered world. The cold wind brushed her face, but could not dispel the depth in her eyes.