Chapter 572: 571. Chapter 566: Divine Way Scripture

571. Chapter 566: Divine Way Scripture

With a few days remaining, Ding Huan decided to begin refining the Life-Death Mirror.

When he took out the Life-Death Mirror, Ding Huan noticed a fine crack had appeared on a beast egg lying beside it.

Ding Huan immediately picked up the beast egg.

It had originally been compensation from Hong Tiao of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect when he was on the Third Heaven Star Continent; according to Hong Tiao, this egg was a remnant of a divine beast egg.

But this egg had sat unused in the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect for countless years and had never hatched.

After Hong Tiao gave it to him, he tossed it into his ring and never paid it any attention.

If even the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect couldn't hatch it, Ding Huan didn't think he could find a way to make it hatch.

Why had this egg cracked open?

Was it about to hatch?

Ding Huan's spiritual sense settled on the egg and immediately sensed a faint pulse of life energy.

Was it really about to hatch?

Could it be…

Ding Huan absentmindedly picked up the soil beside the egg.

This was the soil from the innermost layer of his Universe Cauldron.

After he fully refined the Universe Cauldron, he gained the second space.

This second space was only about a zhang in diameter, but the soil within carried an ineffable aura of eternal Dao.

Moreover, the soil bore the primordial Dao resonance, making it soil fused with the rules of creation after heaven and earth were split.

It was, in essence, Creation Rule Soil.

Because this space was the first he refined and discovered, he stored all his most precious items here.

Including Qi Qi Xinyue's jade coffin, a Dao Fruit Tree he obtained from Feng Huan, a Seven-Realm Flower, the unrefined Life-Death Mirror, and this beast egg.

Even the Dao Fruit he acquired from Wu Chang Emperor, Ding Huan hadn't placed inside—it was casually planted in the True Spirit World.

He had placed this beast egg here only because Hong Tiao had said it was a remnant divine beast egg.

Looking at the cracked egg, Ding Huan felt it was likely the Rule Soil that caused the crack.

After hesitating, Ding Huan severed a segment of top-grade immortal spiritual vein and sent it into the second space of the Universe Cauldron.

Should he ask Old Ji how to make a hatched divine beast his beast companion?

He didn't understand beast companion hatching—Old Ji did.

But Ding Huan immediately dismissed the thought; bonding a divine beast was merely spiritual imprint, blood imprint, or soul control.

His current thought was that if the divine beast hatched and got along with him, it could stay; if not, they'd go their separate ways.

With his current Dao and strength, he had no need to bond a divine beast.

Thinking this, Ding Huan ignored the cracked egg, simply placed some top-grade immortal crystals beside it, and prepared to refine the Life-Death Mirror.

The first time Ding Huan refined the first seal of the Life-Death Mirror, he nearly had his spiritual sea torn apart by its chaotic, surging death Dao resonance.

If his spiritual sea hadn't been a Dao Universe, he might truly have been destroyed.

This time, as his spiritual sense seeped into the Life-Death Mirror again, he effortlessly erased all the chaotic death energy, refining the second seal in an instant.

Then the third, the fourth…

Even though refining became harder with each subsequent seal, by the seventh day, Ding Huan had refined the Life-Death Mirror up to the ninetieth seal.

Although he hadn't fully refined the Life-Death Mirror, he already faintly sensed a Dao resonance of intertwined life and death.

Ding Huan had never encountered such a Dao resonance before; in his prior understanding, the laws of life and death were completely opposite.

Life and death could never move in the same direction.

But today, while refining the Life-Death Mirror, this belief was utterly overturned.

Life and death could be opposites—or they could move together: when you felt no threat around you, only vitality, perhaps a death Dao resonance waited silently.

When you felt there was no way out, perhaps the next moment held your lifeline.

The extreme of life need not remain life—it could become death. The extreme of death need not remain death—it could become life.

But since he hadn't fully refined the Life-Death Mirror, this Dao resonance and law insight remained extremely vague—he couldn't grasp any of its profundities.

The origin of this Life-Death Mirror was undoubtedly extraordinary; if he could refine it all at once, that would be best.

Unfortunately, he could no longer continue refining it—he had to go to the Ten Thousand Masters Immortal Hall to help Old Ji obtain the materials to reshape his body.

…

Ten Thousand Masters Immortal Hall.

Every time the Dao Masters of the Dao Corridor gathered, they chose the Ten Thousand Masters Immortal Hall.

Even ordinary small gatherings of Dao Masters or Dao Master trades were held here.

When Ding Huan arrived, he was immediately stopped; he showed his Dao Master identification plaque.

Although Ding Huan deliberately concealed the name on his Dao Master plaque, the guards of the Ten Thousand Masters Immortal Hall still bowed in solemn respect.

According to regulations, all participants in the Dao Master trade assembly should be at least four-star Dao Masters.

In reality, nearly all attendees were four-star Dao Masters, with some five-star Dao Masters.

Dao Masters like Ding Huan—six-star—rarely came; each time, no more than one hand's worth appeared.

The trading hall was arranged in a fan shape, with a trading seat at the front.

Other Dao Masters sat in a fan around the trading seat; as a six-star Dao Master, Ding Huan could sit in the front row.

Since even the worst attendees were four-star Dao Masters, the number of participants wasn't large—totaling no more than a thousand.

Since this wasn't an auction, Ding Huan found it strange: why was that shopkeeper from Shi Xian Tower so certain this trade assembly had body-reforming materials?

Ding Huan hadn't sat long when everyone had arrived; he swept his spiritual sense across the hall and discovered that the Widow Chang had come too.

It seemed this woman had more than one entry ticket, or could easily obtain another one.

Surprisingly, this woman was also a Four-Star Dao Master, which startled Ding Huan.

A Seven-Star Dao Master walked to the front of the trading hall, his voice clear and resonant:

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Dao Master Trading Assembly is normally scheduled at least half a year in advance. But recently, too many events have occurred along the Great Dao Corridor, so the assembly has been delayed again and again—thankfully, it finally begins today."

This Dao Master Trading Assembly will proceed as usual: Seven-Star and Six-Star Dao Masters will first state what they need, then those possessing Seven-Star or Six-Star artifacts will step forward to trade."

"Afterward, starting from the Five-Star Dao Masters, participants will ascend the stage in order of their seating."

Ding Huan had not expected such privileges.

He glanced around: including himself, only four people sat in the front row wearing Six-Star Dao Master badges, and the only Seven-Star Dao Master was the one speaking on stage.

Though many spiritual senses swept over Ding Huan's direction, he still did not wear his Dao Master badge on his chest.

But the Six-Star Dao Master seat marked beside him already revealed his rank.

According to his seat—the second in the front row—he should be the third to ascend the stage for trading.

After finishing his initial remarks, the Seven-Star Dao Master paused briefly.

Seeing no objections, he continued: "What I require is Immortal Spirit Rice, of Mid-Grade or higher quality."

"In exchange, I can offer a Dao-Vibration Sphere of an Immortal Emperor or Immortal Sovereign's advancement—those who do not need Dao-Vibration Spheres may state what you seek, and I shall do my utmost to obtain it for you."

After waiting a long while, no one stepped forward to speak.

The Seven-Star Dao Master spoke with slight disappointment: "If anyone can find Immortal Spirit Rice, feel free to approach me."

He did not reveal his origin, assuming everyone present knew him.

He did not know that the only person here possessing Immortal Spirit Rice was the one who did not recognize him.

Yet Ding Huan had no interest in advancement Dao-Vibration Spheres.

The second to ascend was a Six-Star Dao Master, who bowed with a Dao Master's salute to all below the stage:

"Fellow Daoists, though you all know me, let me introduce myself. I am Kui Yin, a Dao Master from the Tianyu Dao Law Academy."

"Today, I seek a Water-Elemental Primordial Crystal, or any Primordial Artifact related to Water."

"To show sincerity, I have here a Divine Dao Scripture…"

At these words, Kui Yin immediately stirred a commotion.

Only Ding Huan looked bewildered: What was a Divine Dao Scripture? Was it famous?

Kui Yin waited until the murmurs subsided slightly before continuing:

"Everyone knows the origin of the Divine Dao Scripture, so I need not elaborate."

"Perhaps you believe the original was taken by the Dao Master Ding Huan of the Eternal Wasteland Divine Art Academy—indeed, that is true. But what I hold here is a partial copy."

"The technique in this copy is the Sword Dao technique: Wicked Sea Sword Surge…"

Ding Huan's eyes immediately narrowed.

Wicked Sea Sword Surge was the Sword Dao technique he had taught to Zhuo Qi, derived from the Great Sword Dao Art of the Three Thousand Great Dao.

Though he had not forbidden Zhuo Qi from transmitting it, knowing his disciples as he did, Zhuo Qi would almost certainly never reveal this technique on his own.

Thinking this, Ding Huan sent Kui Yin a spiritual sense imprint—this matter would be addressed later.

Kui Yin's Divine Dao Scripture was clearly highly attractive; as soon as he revealed it, a Four-Star Dao Master stepped forward to trade a crystal imbued with Water Primordial energy for it.

The third to ascend for trading was Ding Huan.

Ding Huan stepped onto the stage and said: "I require materials for body shaping: Nine-Colored Immortal Lotus, Mist Jade Immortal Fruit, or Twin-Leaf Immortal Reed—all are acceptable…"

Upon hearing what Ding Huan sought, all present Dao Masters drew sharp breaths.

Body-shaping Immortal materials existed, but those of the caliber Ding Huan requested were the pinnacle of celestial treasures—where could one possibly obtain them?

Ding Huan paid no mind; instead, he pulled forth a clod of soil and said: "I have a piece of Primordial Dao Soil, forged at the dawn of creation, suitable for exchange."

The hall fell silent.

Though the Dao Soil was sealed by restrictions, everyone's spiritual senses could still perceive the primordial aura of creation and dissolution.

This was unquestionably Primordial Rule Soil, inherently carrying the laws of creation.

Such a thing did not exist within the Great Dao Corridor.

The Great Dao Corridor's laws were complete, yet even its top-tier treasures were scarce.

Rule Soil allows Immortal Emperors to comprehend its Dao Vibration, advancing to the threshold of Sagehood, or even to the rank of Sage or higher.

In value, this Rule Soil surpassed the three body-shaping treasures Ding Huan had named.