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"The collaborative creation of the Twelve Sages for a city's defensive magic array" - what kind of concept is that? Even if it wasn't the pinnacle of magical achievements in that era, it surpasses any existing magic arrays. One must remember that the Radiant Temple's current defensive magic array in the human world was only crafted by five Sages. Hence, even with just a hint of its existence, I would embark on a quest to find it without any regrets.

The Devouring Swamp spans a thousand square miles, harboring a myriad of mutated creatures, each unique and diverse. Some have evolved into magical beasts, condensing crystal cores, while others have transformed into peculiar monsters without cores but still possess extraordinary abilities.

"Number one hundred, Ice Wind. It seems the essence absorbed by 'Tiger Essence' hasn't had any adverse effects on me."

Of course, I wouldn't waste time during this journey; I took the opportunity to test Tiger Essence's power. Honestly, from the beginning, I didn't take the supposed problem of being a Catastrophe Bringer to heart. In terms of physical strength, with the assistance of the Muscle and Bone Tempering Scripture, my external martial arts have surpassed the twelfth level of the Golden Bell Shield mastery. Even the Beastman Sword Emperor couldn't compare. Besides, Huang Chang's Nine Yin True Qi originated from Daoist scriptures. Besides the Internal Alchemy School, Daoism also has the External Alchemy School, which loves to consume bizarre items. Therefore, Daoist inner energy cultivation inherently emphasizes refining alien vital energies to reinforce one's foundation. The essence absorbed by Tiger Essence can be considered a primitive natural treasure, merely serving as a supplement to strengthen me.

As I progressed through the swamp, I continuously used Tiger Essence to slay various creatures, experimenting with absorbing their essences. From ordinary earthworms to mighty bulls capable of rivaling seventh-level magical beasts, I eventually confirmed my hypothesis. These essences entered my body like potent medicinal herbs, swiftly refined and absorbed by the Nine Yin True Qi, becoming part of my strength. However, due to the Nine Yin True Qi's automatic purification and refinement effect, only about ten percent of these raw and diverse essences could ultimately be utilized by me. Naturally, this ten percent boost significantly accelerated the progress of my external martial arts, internal energy, and battle aura cultivation.

Indeed, there was one thing that had been bothering me all along. The Qigong for Marrow Cleansing and Bone Tempering wasn't the grand path of the Nine Yin Manual. While it offered swift progress in the early stages, its rate of improvement would plummet once all six levels were mastered. It wouldn't exhibit the characteristic of orthodox Taoist techniques, which accelerated in advancement as one delved deeper. Now, with the aid of the Tiger's Soul, I no longer had to fear the lack of subsequent techniques.

In my previous life, the so-called divine weapons and treasures, at their mightiest, could only slice through metal as if it were mud and snap the finest hair upon a breath, offering no inherent enhancement to the wielder's own strength. Thus, the Five Great Masters of the world mostly eschewed exceptionally powerful arms. However, in this present life, the world stands in stark contrast; an epic-grade weapon serves as a bulwark against myriad wondrous powers for the supreme martial artists.

The plants and creatures in the Swallowing Swamp possess extraordinary vitality, thriving abundantly even in winter. As I wandered through the swamp, I solely relied on Ice Wind's keen sense to navigate, which naturally proved to be quite ineffective. Initially, I had hoped to bring a few guides, but the old mercenaries who once searched for the temple ruins were long gone. Moreover, the swamp has undergone dramatic changes due to the earthquake a year ago, rendering any guide useless. It was better to trust Ice Wind's intuition.

Sure enough, on the seventh day, Icewind halted before a lush swamp entangled with venomous vines. Even though I couldn't perceive anything unusual about this vegetation, I was well-prepared since I dared to venture here. Channeling Nine Yin's essence into Tiger's Soul, a pure white radiance rose from the spiral horn on the hilt, infusing the golden crystal blade before spreading outwards, enveloping everything within a hundred paces. The swamp vines across from us vanished like shadows at dawn under the illumination of the white light.

HuPo not only inherited the abilities of the "Saber-Toothed Black-Striped White Tiger," but it also concealed the powers of the "Unicorn King" and the "Myriad-Year Golden Tree Spirit" that it had devoured. However, previous wielders of the weapon were warriors, and their mere martial prowess was insufficient to freely manipulate HuPo's power. Thus, only the abilities of the White Tiger were displayed. After I examined it with my Nine Yin True Energy, akin to using other magical artifacts, it unlocked some new capabilities. Now, I'm utilizing the light-based skill of the "Unicorn King," the "Eye of Truth," which specializes in dispelling all sorts of illusions, even my own "Grand Yan Illusionary Demon Array."

The profound transformation before my eyes, even with prior anticipation, left me astonished. After the illusion dissipated, a picturesque meadow spanning several kilometers appeared, lush with green grass and vibrant wildflowers, an idyllic scene of natural harmony. If this had been witnessed on the Snow Wolf Prairie, it might not have drawn much attention. However, after days of battling grotesque, mutated creatures in the devouring swamp, such a paradise seemed like an entrance to heaven.

"I've finally found it, Ice Wind. Let's see what secrets lie hidden here."

The vanishing illusion didn't imply that the defensive magic array had also been entirely eradicated. Hence, there was still a barrier of light between me and the captivating landscape. Nevertheless, this didn't pose an obstacle. Based on our conjectures, the energy source that the Twelve Sages initially equipped for the defense array might have been depleted during the "Twilight of the Gods" cataclysm. The subsequent energy source was likely derived from the crystal cores of the swamp's magical beasts. No matter how powerful a magical creation might be, it would be powerless when lacking energy, as evidenced by the adventuring party wiped out by the "Red Pig Guard." Their discovery of the temple ruins must have been due to the exhaustion of the magic array's energy. Although they presumably reactivated the array later, its strength couldn't have been substantial.

Infusing my six-layered "Starlight Aura" into Tiger Essence, it escalated grandly to become the "Moon Flame Aura," emitting a blade beam akin to silver-blue flames. I slashed downward with my sword.

"Boom~~~"

The entire light barrier trembled violently, akin to ripples in a pond when a boulder is dropped in, dispersing Tiger Essence's impact across the entire shield to mitigate my assault.