Chapter 139: Escaping the Predicament

Perhaps because it didn't know how many years it had gone without speaking, or how many years without communicating with any other being, the phoenix bird Qingyao did not immediately return to where it slept.

Instead, it began to chat with Yunhe off and on.

Although Yunhe would occasionally fall into contemplation while familiarizing himself with his condition and deeply understanding the content of the Profound Demon Sever Immortal Strategy technique, Qingyao did not leave, nor did it disturb him; it simply stood silently beside him, watching him.

I don't know why.

Whenever it saw that Yunhe was still there, Qingyao felt a sense of relief.

It was like a person who had been alone and lonely for who knows how many years, when suddenly someone appears to communicate with, melting away that loneliness in the heart.

But it also understood that Yunhe wouldn't stay long and would soon leave; at that time it could only return to the Wash Demon Pool to sleep again.

I don't know how the years have passed, I don't know what year it is now.

But being able to have even one day is a day; it comforted itself with that thought.

"Big Turtle, what kind of species do you say you belong to? Me? I suppose I was a phoenix before, that's what I was called."

"This character is obviously 'Xuan' — as a descendant of a true spirit, you don't even know the demon race's writing?"

"Big Turtle, what flavor do you say the green grapes actually have? I've forgotten. Sour? Hehehe — look at your expression, hehehe — "

"Big Turtle, how can you have so much stuff on you? What is that little cloth bag? Is it a treasure?"

"Big Turtle, Big Turtle, Big Turtle? Oh, you fell asleep, sorry sorry."

"Big Turtle."

During this time, for the phoenix bird Qingyao,

That's all.

The years are peaceful.

"Oh—!!"

Yunhe's demonic power surged up his body, he rose to his feet, and couldn't help letting out a roar.

The earth-shaking sound reverberated in the vast hall, lingering for a long time.

What filled the sound seemed to be accompanied by some special rhythm.

"Big Turtle, what are you doing? You scared me to death"

Yunhe's sudden cry startled Qingyao, who had been boredly preening its feathers by the pool's edge, making it angrily speak up.

Just that.

As it spoke, its voice gradually grew softer, and its gaze gradually dimmed.

After a while, it spoke again:

"Are you leaving?"

Noticing the look Yunhe cast its way, Qingyao hastily hid the sadness in its eyes and forced itself to say:

"Hurry up and leave, hurry up and leave, being here I can't get a peaceful sleep; I don't know when you'll run off to the Wash Demon Pool again."

Yunhe gave it a deep look, then suddenly said:

"Do you want to leave?"

"Leave?"

Qingyao stared blankly, even forgetting to flap its wings, but its body remained suspended in midair.

"Where to?"

It had a look of utter confusion.

But Yunhe's words were like chiseling a crack in a pitch-black box, letting a sliver of warm sunlight shine in.

Its memories from before becoming a formation spirit had mostly faded, leaving only some instincts and the most basic memories.

Even just these memories greatly supplemented Yunhe's scarce knowledge of the demon race.

Correspondingly, Yunhe's appearance let Qingyao experience what it meant to have companionship.

I could have endured darkness, if I had never seen light.

This saying perhaps fits Qingyao, but it is applicable.

Just like that, a demon beast and a formation spirit gazed at each other from a distance for a while.

Qingyao moved its beak; the proud creature originally wanted to pretend again, but the words that came out became.

"How, how to leave?"

Hearing that, Yunhe chuckled.

If one wants to take a formation spirit away from a certain place, the best method is to dismantle the entire grand formation.

However, given Yunhe's current level of formation skill, trying to dismantle the grand formation connected to this Wash Demon Pool is obviously unrealistic.

But he thought of another method.

"I'll give it a try."

Speaking, he took out a bright red gourd, the Soft Jade Red Gourd.

Under Qingyao's doubtful gaze, Yunhe pinched with both claws, and a wisp of black demonic fire rose.

Although he hadn't yet had time to cultivate the Profound Demon Sever Immortal Strategy, he had still learned quite a few of its secret techniques and abilities, as well as special applications and methods for using demonic power.

For example, this black demonic fire.

It is not ordinary demonic beast fire, but rather Profound Demon Purifying Fire.

Because he hasn't cultivated the Profound Demon Sever Immortal Strategy, this wisp of Profound Demon Purifying Fire isn't refined enough, but for Yunhe as he is now, it's sufficient.

"It's still better than ordinary demonic fire."

Afterward, he also took out a large amount of materials he had prepared earlier.

He formed the hand seal.

The Soft Jade Red Gourd floated up.

"You want to refine artifacts?" Seeing Yunhe's actions, Qingyao's eyes lit up.

Yunhe did not speak.

But indeed, as Qingyao said, he intends to refine the demonic artifact "Nine-Curved Gourd," using this third-grade spiritual plant, soft jade red gourd, as the main material.

To be honest, he has refined many magical artifacts of cultivators, but this demon beast's demonic artifact is indeed his first time.

However, according to the stone tablet's record, the refining process is not difficult; the difficulty lies in finding the main material.

Refining begins.

However, not long after refining began, Qingyao, who had originally just prepared to watch silently, suddenly said, "The fire is too strong; switching from martial fire to cultural fire will make the gourd and materials more compatible."

Hmm?

Yunhe, in the midst of refining, was somewhat surprised.

But he had to admit that Qingyao's words indeed saved him many unnecessary steps in his later refining, eliminating the need for conversion.

"Xuan fire is water fire; it should burn while sinking to the bottom. The gourd also brings fortune and prosperity; it should be simmered over low fire."

At first, Yunhe still felt somewhat surprised, but slowly, under Qingyao's reminders, he changed his refining approach.

And Qingyao at this moment was like a teacher imparting artifact refining, gradually guiding Yunhe on how to refine the "Nine-Curved Gourd."

This made Yunhe feel quite surprised in his heart.

It actually knows how to refine artifacts?

Most importantly, some of its enlightening words not only gave Yunhe considerable help in this refining of the Nine-Curved Gourd, but also significantly improved his overall artifact refining skill.

Whether refining demonic artifacts, magical artifacts, or spiritual artifacts, in the end they all converge on the same path: the Way of Artifacts.

Qingyao is like a demonic beast that has long cultivated in the Way of Artifacts and achieved some accomplishments, giving Yunhe great inspiration.

Although he was surprised in his heart, the refining process consequently went very smoothly.

Time passed.

One month flashed by in an instant.

"Success!" Qingyao exclaimed joyfully.

"Success!" Yunhe also silently thought in his heart.

Hum—

A fiery-red gourd hovered in midair, emanating surging demonic power fluctuations, showing how mighty this artifact is.

Yunhe gestured with a claw, exhaling a mouthful of murky demonic power.

The gourd slowly drifted toward him.

With the final mouthful of demonic power attaching, this artifact and he successfully established a certain special connection, but something still seemed to be missing in between.

Nine-Curved Gourd!

"That's enough." Yunhe suddenly said to Qingyao.

Chirp—

At this moment, Qingyao obviously also finally understood what Yunhe wanted to do; after a brief hesitation, a faint blue light suddenly rose on her body, rendering her into a true azure phoenix form.

The next moment.

Qingyao suddenly submerged into the gourd.

Moreover, the barrier that had originally blocked Yunhe from continuing to approach the "Demon-Washing Pool" here also quietly dissipated.

A muffled sound erupted from the pool's bottom.

Numerous fine cracks appeared on the pool walls.

It is quite evident that, due to the disappearance of the formation spirit, this originally already decayed and ruined grand formation suffered another massive loss, putting it in dire peril.

As for saying the phoenix bird Qingyao.

Yunhe's expression turned grave as he continuously poured demonic power into the gourd, casting hand seals.

At the same time, his inner blood surged; he opened his mouth and spat out a thread of essence blood.

Chirp——!!

The phoenix bird Qingyao flew out from the Nine-Curved Gourd, once again taking shape, and seized the thread of essence blood Yunhe had spat out, swallowing it into her belly.

The next moment.

Its appearance became noticeably more illusory, even its size shrinking considerably, yet its gaze grew brighter and more lively.

At this point, it had transformed from a formation spirit into a half-artifact spirit!

"It seems you also know what I intend to do." Looking at Qingyao reappearing, Yunhe cracked his mouth into a smile and said.

Qingyao's movement paused.

"I originally didn't know, but when I saw you, the big turtle, refining artifacts, many memories suddenly surfaced in my mind, not a few concerning how to refine artifacts, as well as about artifact spirits."

Whether artifact spirit or formation spirit, both are a special kind of spiritual body that mutually arises and ceases with artifacts and formations; when the formation disperses, the spirit disperses; when the artifact is destroyed, the spirit is destroyed.

But Qingyao is different.

It was artificially infused into the formation later.

Originally it was a true spirit azure phoenix, possessing considerable ability and strength.

Therefore, its spirit will not dissipate so easily; it can fully withstand the process of re-extraction and infusion of spirit.

Moreover, judging by its appearance, although its condition has worsened, it seems to have recalled more things and also become more spiritual.

As for saying.

Why is it a half-artifact spirit.

Because if it does not want to forever remain an artifact spirit and be trapped again in some place, it cannot form too deep a bond with the Nine-Curved Gourd.

It can undergo one or two spirit extractions, but that does not mean it can endure three or four.

Therefore, rather than saying it is now an artifact spirit.

Rather, it is by using the Nine Curved Gourd, this demon artifact, as a medium, that the contract with Yunhe was completed.

This is a bond stronger than the Demon Sense mark planted between Yunhe and the little fox.

In other words.

As long as Yunhe is not destroyed, or Qingyao does not have her soul seized and her consciousness annihilated, it remains immortal.

"How do you know that again, Dagu?" Qingyao showed doubt.

Yunhe tapped his claw against his own head.

In the inherited technique, there are both contents about artifact refining and descriptions of the Qingluan clan.

To him, this is a treasure, a treasure yet to be fully excavated.

Qingyao realized.

Yunhe then looked again at the Nine Curved Gourd.

He wasn't quite sure what grade this demon artifact was, as the demon clan's classification of demon artifacts isn't as clear as that of cultivators.

But considering it can serve as a vessel for an artifact spirit, plus the use of the Soft Jade Red Gourd, it should at least be comparable to a lower-grade treasure.

He patted his storage bag again and took out a large portion of demon beast meat.

He then poured demon power into the Nine Curved Gourd.

Hum—

The Nine Curved Gourd burst forth with a powerful suction, easily drawing in the demon beast meat, and the gourd's weight hardly changed at all, showing its great capacity.

As the demon beast meat was thrown in, a special mist suddenly rose inside the gourd.

Afterward, the demon beast meat inside the Nine Curved Gourd began to undergo some special changes.

"Refining will take some time; we'll see the effect later."

Immediately he opened his mouth slightly, the Nine Curved Gourd quickly shrank, and he swallowed it.

And the Qingluan remained on Yunhe's back shell.

They walked toward the outside of the hall.

"Qingyao."

"Ah?"

"You said you recalled more memories, all about artifact refining? Any about the demon clan?"

"Let me think... oh, it seems there is, a large group of demon beasts in a hall, somewhat chaotic; I need time to 'digest' it first."

"You should know the demon clan's script, right?"

"Of course!"

"Teach me."

"Oh."

A demon beast and a spirit entity walked out of the great hall of the Wash Demon Pool.

"Dagu, you said you awakened the inherited technique—what is it? I also seem to recall a technique—the Luan Phoenix Twelve Nirvana. Do you want to learn it? I'll teach you."

Big turtle, I don't seem to need to seize a body; this cultivation method says I can use the 'Nirvana Technique'.

Qingyao had become even more talkative than before.

Chattering nonstop.

"My name is Yunhe." Yunhe could only express helplessness.

But he also had to admit that from Qingyao he learned many things and gained many benefits.

"So you actually have a name!"

Qingyao seemed quite delighted.

For a demon beast, the meaning of having a name differs from that of a human cultivator.

"Yunhe, I might need to sleep—a nap that could last decades—and before I sleep I will pass on to you the demon script, the artifact refining method, and the 'Luan Phoenix Twelve Nirvana'."

Yunhe, I might need to take a nap, just a short one that won't take several decades; before I sleep I will pass on to you the demon texts, the artifact refining method, and the 'Luan Feng Twelve Nirvana'.

Meanwhile, in Yunhe's mind, many things suddenly surfaced.

However, compared to when the inheritance was awakened, this is much more comfortable.

However, it is far more comfortable compared to when inheriting the awakening.

(End of chapter)