Chapter 224: 224. Chapter 221: Minor Universe Art

224. Chapter 221: Minor Universe Art

"Master, the grace of saving my life—I shall never forget it for as long as I live." Once he could move again, Ji Xinting was so moved he was about to drop to his knees.

Ding Huan's divine sense stirred slightly; this man, once the number-one powerhouse of the Triple Heaven Star Land, simply could not kneel.

"I'm about to leave this place and establish a sect…" Ding Huan hadn't even decided on a name for the sect yet.

Besides, to establish his sect, he still had to take down Elder He.

"Master, I'll go with you. I'll help you…"

What Ji Xinting desired most right now was certainly not helping Ding Huan build a sect, but obtaining Ding Huan's cultivation method.

Ding Huan waved a hand:

"Hidden Jianshan is what I need, so you'll stay here guarding it while you cultivate."

Ji Xinting was dumbfounded. After a long while he said:

"Master, my cultivation is entirely gone. Staying here for a short while is fine, but any longer and I'll surely be poisoned to death."

Ding Huan looked at Ji Xinting:

"I say, Old Ji…"

"Master, please call this disciple Xinting. 'Old Ji' is something I really dare not accept."

Ding Huan said, at a loss:

"'Old Ji' just rolls off the tongue. Although you cultivate my method, I'm only leading you through the door. The technique I'm passing to you now… I'll call it Minor… um, let's call it the Divine Meridian Scripture."

Ding Huan had originally wanted to name it the Minor Universe Art, but he immediately realized that if he gave it that name, this fellow would be a hundred percent certain to ask why he wasn't being taught the Great Universe Art.

Wouldn't that just be a waste of breath? Besides, Ji Xinting currently had no meridians in his body—every single one would have to be opened by himself—so he simply named it the Divine Meridian Scripture.

As the former number-one powerhouse, Ji Xinting truly was sharp; hearing Ding Huan's words, he immediately understood:

"Master, does this Divine Meridian Scripture involve opening up meridians and acupoints within one's own body?"

His body currently had not a single meridian, so a new technique would certainly have to involve opening meridians.

"Correct. I can only teach you the first three layers; the rest of the technique depends entirely on your own comprehension.

There's a cosmic vortex here. Cultivate and gain insight beside it, and at the same time keep an eye on our sect's trial grounds."

As he spoke, Ding Huan pointed at the cosmic vortex before them.

"But…"

Before Ji Xinting could finish his question, Ding Huan spoke again:

"Don't worry. The first Zhou Tian of the Divine Meridian Scripture opens up a meridian that neutralizes poison. Cultivate exactly as I tell you, and even ten thousand years here won't see the poison touch you.

Just tell me now—do you want to learn it or not?"

Ji Xinting was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed, saying:

"This disciple is willing to learn. Master, may I ask—once mastered, will it form the same vast cosmic great Dao aura as your own technique?"

Ding Huan snorted:

"You haven't even learned to walk and you want to run? In our lineage's technique, each person's comprehension and aptitude differ greatly, so whether you can reach that point depends not on what I teach, but on how well you learn in the future."

"This disciple understands."

Ji Xinting recalled the aura Ding Huan had emitted while cultivating earlier—an aura that could perceive the mysteries of the cosmos—and a new expectation welled up within him.

Ding Huan modified the Great Universe Art.

Ji Xinting's cultivation was not based on treating himself as the universe and the great Dao as the vast starry sky. That sort of thing couldn't be taught; one had to comprehend it oneself.

Even if Ding Huan passed on every single word of his Great Universe Art to Ji Xinting without omission, in the end Ji Xinting might only manage to learn the Minor Universe Art.

The same person, studying the same technique, would not necessarily comprehend the same Dao.

Therefore, the Divine Meridian Scripture Ding Huan gave Ji Xinting only used the method of the universe evolving into star rivers to open meridians, rather than condensing a star river from a single mote of stardust.

Ding Huan had cultivated the Great Universe Art to the Star-Nurturing level, and within his dantian stood a mountain of stars.

So when he wanted to modify the Great Universe Art's technique, he managed it in just a single shichen.

Once the technique was revised, Ding Huan carved a jade slip and inscribed a name on it: Divine Meridian Scripture.

To Ding Huan's utter astonishment, the moment he finished carving the three characters "Divine Meridian Scripture," they began to blur.

Ding Huan refused to believe such a strange thing. He carved it again. The second time he deliberately strengthened his divine sense, making the characters even clearer.

Yet once carved, the three characters "Divine Meridian Scripture" vanished once more.

What the hell.

Ding Huan's divine sense swept over the technique he had carved inside the jade slip—the content hadn't changed at all; it was simply the name that couldn't be inscribed.

After a moment's hesitation, he simply stopped carving a name for the technique and tossed the jade slip to Ji Xinting:

"Just cultivate according to this. Keep the technique's name in your own memory."

"Thank you, Master." Ji Xinting took the jade slip and thanked him again.

When he picked up the jade slip and saw the four characters on it, he asked in pleasant surprise:

"Master, this is the Minor Universe Art? Not the Divine Meridian Scripture?"

"How do you know it's the Minor Universe Art?" Ding Huan blurted out in surprise.

In his heart he had indeed thought of it as the Minor Universe Art, but what he had carved was "Divine Meridian Scripture"—and it just wouldn't stick.

"You wrote it yourself." Ji Xinting felt his own intelligence being ground into the dirt.

Ding Huan's divine sense fell upon the jade slip, and he was shocked to discover that, at some unknown moment, the characters "Minor Universe Art" had appeared on the technique jade slip he had given Ji Xinting.

"Fine, from now on this technique will be called the Minor Universe Art. How far you can go cultivating the Minor Universe Art depends entirely on yourself."

Ding Huan had no choice but to say it like that.

Although Ji Xinting felt his master's words were a little odd, he still agreed,

Much to Ding Huan's satisfaction, this fellow didn't ask where the Great Universe Art was.

As for how high Ji Xinting will eventually rise, that depends entirely on himself—it's not something Ding Huan made up.

He only gave her the first three levels of the cultivation method; Ji Xinting can only cultivate up to Yunxing realm.

Once she reaches Yunxing realm and wishes to advance further, she must create new levels of the method herself.

"Thank you, Master," Ji Ji Xinting carefully took the cultivation method Ding Huan handed her.

When she first joined a sect and began cultivating the Dao, she had never been this devout.

Before, when she joined the Daoist sect, she knew what level of achievement she might reach.

Today, she has no idea how high her achievement will go.

As the former sect leader of Huangshen Sect and the strongest warrior on the Threefold Heaven Star Continent, she naturally understood this principle.

……

When Ding Huan arrived at his small courtyard in Xifeng City, he found not only Sang Sang Yuhe there, but also Mo Huanping, the direct disciple of Liu Liu Yinzhu and Guan Cuan.

"Big Brother Ding," Guan Cuan exclaimed, overjoyed to see Ding Huan return.

Mo Huanping looked at Ding Huan with complex emotions—she never imagined that a lowly mortal once dismissed by everyone had now become someone even True Dan experts waited upon.

Not only did the elder Sang Sang Yuhe treat him with respect, even her own master did.

She and Guan Cuan had hidden themselves in Xifeng City and did not know that Xiagude Sect had sealed its mountains.

"Huh? Why are you two here too?" Ding Huan was genuinely surprised to see Guan Cuan and Mo Huanping.

Mo Huanping hurriedly said:

"My master saw that the sect leader refused to adopt all your suggestions, so he ordered me and Guan Cuan to leave the sect and lie low for a while.

Our cultivation is low, and we had nowhere to go. Guan Cuan said only Xifeng City was safe, so we secretly came here."

Ding Huan praised:

"Your master's idea is excellent—this place is indeed safe, at least for the next few years. Now that I'm here, let's all return together."

"Is Xiagude Sect still standing?" Guan Cuan asked, disbelieving.

They dared not inquire about news, yet from scattered fragments they had learned Xiagude Sect seemed destroyed.

"The sect Xiagude no longer exists, but the land remains—let's discuss it once we return," Ding Huan said, then summoned his airship.

Only then did Sang Sang Yuhe realize where Ding Huan intended to establish his sect—it was Xiagude.

This was no ordinary place; in the Daoist world, it had been among the top ten sacred sect sites.

"Ding Huan, you say Xiagude Sect is gone?" Sang Sang Yuhe knew that although Xiagude was not powerful, it was still a mid-tier sect.

How could such a sect vanish?

Ding Huan briefly explained the great battle between Xiagude and Jiuyin Sect, in which both sides were nearly annihilated.

After hearing Ding Huan's account, Sang Sang Yuhe fell silent.

She wanted to tell Ding Huan that even if he wished to found a sect, he should not choose Xiagude.

Could this place accommodate an ordinary sect?

Why was Xiagude destroyed? Wasn't it precisely because its location was too desirable?

Originally, Xiagude's strength was average—merely a break in its mid-tier leadership and inadequate disciple cultivation.

Now that Xiagude has been wiped out, countless sects covet its land—yet Ding Huan has set his sights on it too. Is this not…

"Ding Huan, I think we should choose another place to establish our sect," Sang Sang Yuhe finally voiced her concern gently.

"No. It's precisely because of Xiagude that I want to establish a sect. If I change locations, I wouldn't bother founding one at all."

Ding Huan was speaking honestly.

What strength does he have now? To establish a sect elsewhere would waste precious time he cannot afford.

Xiagude is an ideal cultivation ground; establishing a sect here achieves two goals at once.

When his array art reaches perfection, he will certainly build a teleportation array between Xiagude and Cangjian Mountain—this array will be called the Sect's Internal Trial Teleportation Array.

In less than two days, Ding Huan's airship landed outside Xiagude.

"Ding Huan, has Xiagude sealed its mountains?" Sang Sang Yuhe knew at once that Xiagude was sealed.

If it was sealed, then entry was impossible.

Yet Ding Huan pulled out an array flag and effortlessly opened a passage through the sealing barrier.

To Sang Sang Yuhe's astonishment, Ding Huan entered Xiagude.

Whether in the Daoist world or the Ascension Realm,

the unwritten rule was that once a sect sealed its mountain, no one was permitted to attack it.

One exception existed: if a sect appeared sealed but its disciples still secretly came and went.

"Ding Huan, if anyone sees this, won't Xiagude be attacked?" Sang Sang Yuhe was deeply worried.

Ding Huan sighed:

"Even if no one sees it, Xiagude will be attacked soon enough."

Ding Huan knew well: a sacred sect site like Xiagude would be coveted by all—it would be strange if no one desired it.

Now Jiuyin Sect is sealed, Xiagude is sealed, and the surviving cultivators dare not show themselves.

Many sects coveting Xiagude do not know the full truth, so they dare not act rashly.

Once these sects learn Xiagude has been utterly destroyed, they will find an excuse to attack, sealed or not.

The best excuse would be someone seen entering or leaving a sealed mountain.

Therefore, he must kill Elder He as soon as possible and accelerate his advancement to the next level after Yunxing—equivalent to Primordial Soul realm.

Otherwise, even if no one sees him entering or leaving a sealed mountain, others will use that as an excuse to attack Xiagude.