Chapter 749: Divine Wood Red Gold Furnace

"Is this the leaf of the Divine Wood? Unbelievable, truly unbelievable."

At this moment, in the cave of Daoist Tian Gong, Li Yi and other cultivators gathered again, and he handed the Divine Wood leaf he had just obtained from Divine Wood City to Daoist Tian Gong.

A golden leaf emitted a golden radiance, like a wondrous artifact, naturally generating an energy field—though this energy field was not intense, but rather gentle.

"Daoist Tian Gong, have you discerned anything yet?" asked Daoist Shen Xu beside him.

Daoist Tian Gong exclaimed: "This is no mere leaf—it is a great array nurtured by heaven and earth! Do you see the patterns on the leaf? Interwoven in all directions, they form natural array traces. Once activated, this leaf will continuously absorb spiritual energy from heaven and earth, concentrate it, and release it as golden flames, like the sun."

"So this is the true reason why the Divine Wood leaf can smelt Red Gold."

"There's such a thing?" All the cultivators were stunned.

A single leaf being a naturally grown great array? This was simply beyond comprehension.

Someone with some knowledge of arrays quickly picked up another golden leaf to examine it; the more he pondered, the more astonished he became—it was indeed a marvelously intricate array, formed naturally, impossible for human hands to arrange.

Li Yi did not understand these things; he asked directly: "Daoist Tian Gong, can you quickly forge a Red Gold Dao artifact?"

Daoist Tian Gong immediately replied: "Tai Yi, don't rush. Before forging the Red Gold Dao artifact, I must first use these golden leaves combined with Red Gold to forge a Dao furnace. I intend to imprint the array traces of these golden leaves onto the furnace, stabilize the array, and form a natural Dao fire. If successful, forging the Red Gold Dao artifact will be effortless, and we won't need to rely on Divine Wood leaves anymore—but…"

"But what?" Li Yi asked.

Daoist Tian Gong's expression grew uneasy, almost embarrassed to speak.

Daoist Yun Feizi beside him spoke up: "But forging a furnace of this caliber will consume many golden leaves, as constructing the array pattern is an extremely difficult task."

"Can you guarantee forging one furnace with a thousand golden leaves?" Li Yi asked directly.

Daoist Tian Gong quickly waved his hand: "No need for that many—even if I'm incompetent, five hundred Divine Wood leaves are certainly enough to forge one furnace, though some loss is inevitable."

Li Yi immediately said: "With a furnace, we won't be bound by others when smelting Red Gold. I'm giving you a thousand Divine Wood leaves—I don't care about the process, only the result. Even if all thousand leaves are ruined, as long as you forge one furnace, you'll have done a great service."

With a furnace, there would be an endless supply of Red Gold Dao artifacts.

Li Yi knew well what was more important.

Daoist Tian Gong immediately said: "With those words from Tai Yi, old man will risk his life to forge the furnace."

Li Yi thought for a moment and added: "I also have a branch of the Divine Wood—perhaps it will help in forging the furnace. Master, feel free to use it. Just keep some scraps for me; I want to craft some arrows."

He laid his cards on the table, producing the Divine Wood branch as well.

After all, he hadn't read much; since beginning cultivation, he'd learned only combat arts and knew nothing of artifact forging or elixir refining. Better to give the Divine Wood branch to this elder of the Dao Artifact Sect than let it rot in his hands like firewood.

"A branch of the Divine Wood? Tai Yi, you actually got this too?"

Daoist Tian Gong's eyes lit up; he immediately leaned over the Red Gold chest, caressing it excitedly. Feeling the boundless divine power within, he murmured: "Divine material—truly a divine material. With this, I have full confidence I can forge a Divine Wood Red Gold Furnace."

"This Divine Wood Red Gold Furnace will surpass any inherited Dao artifact in the cultivation world."

"Surpass a Dao artifact?" Li Yi couldn't help but feel eager: "What is that? A Immortal Artifact?"

In the Xuan Immortal world, artifacts are divided into Spirit Artifacts, Treasure Artifacts, and Immortal Artifacts.

In the End-Dharma cultivation world, artifacts are divided into Law Artifacts and Dao Artifacts. Beyond that, Li Yi wasn't quite sure.

"Immortal Artifact?"

Daoist Tian Gong said: "Above Dao Artifacts in the cultivation world, they are not called Immortal Artifacts—they are called Cheng Dao Artifacts, supreme treasures only a Cheng Dao cultivator could forge. But after the End-Dharma era, these precious Cheng Dao Artifacts were all sealed away in Celestial Realms and Blessed Lands; otherwise, with spiritual energy depleted, their essence would be instantly drained by heaven and earth, shattering them instantly."

"The End-Dharma calamity doesn't just target cultivators—it targets artifacts too. The stronger the artifact, the greater its suffering."

"I understand now," Li Yi said.

? O

This so-called Cheng Dao Artifact must be equivalent to an Immortal Artifact, perhaps even surpassing ordinary Immortal Artifacts.

After all, Li Yi had once crushed a Xuan Immortal world Treasure Artifact with an inherited Dao Artifact—clearly, under the same rank, Dao Artifacts were stronger than Treasure Artifacts. So Cheng Dao Artifacts should surpass Immortal Artifacts.

"If we can forge a furnace at the Immortal Artifact level, then these leaves are worth it," Li Yi added with a smile. "Then, Daoist Tian Gong, please begin forging immediately. We won't disturb you further. We look forward to your good news."

"Tai Yi, rest assured—the Divine Wood Red Gold Furnace will surely be forged. I ask my fellow cultivators to wait for my good news," Daoist Tian Gong said. "But I need a few of you to assist me with minor tasks—who among you will help?"

"Yuan Yang, Shen Xu, Qing Fengzi—three masters, you stay behind to assist," Li Yi immediately named them.

Because these three were the strongest among them, all Second Flower Realm cultivators.

"Yes, Tai Yi."

The three immediately bowed and accepted the task.

Li Yi said: "Once the Divine Wood Red Gold Furnace is complete, everyone will soon have several Red Gold Dao artifacts. Before then, I hope you all work hard and defend Red Gold Mountain together—watch for powerful enemies."

"Tai Yi, rest assured—we will give our all," everyone replied solemnly.

Li Yi nodded: "Now that's settled, return to your caves and rest. Try not to disturb Daoist Tian Gong while he forges the furnace."

Everyone responded again, then orderly exited Daoist Tian Gong's cave.

Li Yi also left and returned to his Lord's Mansion.

He decided that after the Divine Wood Red Gold Furnace was forged, he would replace all his Dao artifacts with Red Gold ones before leaving the Wildlands. He felt his current strength was sufficient to confront powerful foes—such as the great demons of the Demon God Realm, the Mahayana cultivators of the Xuan Immortal World, some dark-world demons, and mythological creatures from Earth.

As for these End-Dharma cultivators, let them remain at Red Gold Mountain and cultivate diligently.

When needed in a crisis, they could swiftly return to Earth for support; with the two worlds connected, there would be no need to open a cross-realm gate.

"Tai Yi."

As Li Yi returned to his Lord's Mansion, Yun Feizi of the Tian Dao Sect came to find him.

"What does the Divine Lady require?" Li Yi stopped and asked.

Yun Feizi looked slightly embarrassed: "It's like this, Tai Yi—I wish to meet Xiang Xiangzi and Xuan Yuezi. Where are they now?"

Li Yi said: "The two Immortal Nuns are not in the Wildlands—they are in another world, currently busy trying to revive the other three Immortal Nuns. If you wish to find them, I can help open a cross-realm gate."

He now possessed multiple complete wondrous artifacts; opening a cross-realm gate was as easy as eating and drinking.

"W-would that be too much trouble?" Yun Feizi said, embarrassed.

Li Yi said: "No trouble at all—it's but a small favor. Follow me."

He did not open the gate here; instead, he took Yun Feizi to the Tian Yi Hall.

This Dao Artifact-level palace had strong defenses; outsiders could not intrude, so secrets would not leak.

"Thank you so much, Tai Yi," Yun Feizi bowed respectfully, then followed Li Yi into the Tian Yi Hall.

Upon entering the hall, Yun Feizi was stunned by the overwhelming torrent of life essence filling the chamber.

Li Yi gave no further explanation; he pulled out the cross-realm device, set everything up, targeted the Incense-to-God world, and opened the gate.

"The two Immortal Nuns are in this world. As a high-level cultivator of the Tian Dao Sect, you should know how to find them, correct?"

Yun Feizi nodded, bowed again to Li Yi, then leapt into the Incense-to-God world.

Upon entering, Yun Feizi immediately felt a stark contrast.

Though spiritual energy here was still abundant, it paled greatly compared to the Wildlands.

She also felt puzzled—why did Xiang Xiangzi and Xuan Yuezi prefer staying here instead of remaining at Red Gold Mountain?

Yun Feizi cast a spell, tracing her sect's spiritual traces, riding clouds and mist, and soon arrived before a towering mountain.

"Dao Mountain!"

Yun Feizi saw a massive stele on the mountain—newly erected, judging by its appearance. Below, several statues stood, the largest being Li Yi's. The others were smaller, their faces unmistakably matching Xiang Xiangzi and Xuan Yuezi.

Everyone agrees.

Beyond them, three other statues made Yun Feizi pause in shock.

Those three statues depicted the three deceased Immortal Nuns of the Tian Dao Sect. She remembered how, before dying, they had poured their final strength into the Qihuang Seal—the inherited Dao artifact of the Seven Immortal Nuns lineage.

They did so to preserve the artifact, hoping the Seven Immortal Nuns lineage might one day rise again.

But sadly, fate defied their wishes. Even years after their deaths, the End-Dharma era had not ended; cultivators' plight grew ever worse.

Had it not been for Li Yi's arrival from another world, the Tian Dao Sect would have perished long ago—not just the Seven Immortal Nuns lineage, but even her own Divine Lady lineage would have been wiped out.

"Miao Huizi, Ling Yinzi, and… Wu Mengzi."

Gazing at the three statues, Yun Feizi was momentarily lost in thought.

For she felt the statues were not dead—they radiated a divine aura, as if primordial spirits had truly taken residence within them, even emitting strange luminous energy.

Meanwhile,

At the peak of Dao Mountain,

Spiritual energy converged, the cries of dragon and tiger echoed endlessly, torrents of life essence spilled outward.

A Daoist nun performed great magic, refining a Red Gold stone figure into a flesh body to revive one of the three Immortal Nuns.

And now, it seemed the critical moment had arrived.

Suddenly, a beam of primordial spirit light shot out from one of the statues, racing straight toward the mountain peak.

"It's Miao Huizi's primordial spirit… How is this possible? Has she truly been revived?" Yun Feizi was stunned.

At the same time, she recognized the life essence—it was identical to that within the Tian Yi Hall.

What kind of divine fortune was needed to revive an Immortal Nun who had been dead for so many years?