Chapter 624: The Six Classics

A Yi Fang Mi Jing had been born within the bronze furnace!

After a brief humming tremor, Dun Tian Zhou stopped shaking.

"Eh?"

Long Long Yingchan keenly sensed something amiss.

At a glance Dun Tian Zhou looked no different from before, but fine, dense crimson patterns had appeared across its once dark, dull wooden hull, making it appear far more exquisite and mysterious.

"Dun Tian Zhou swallowed Tian Huo San Mei Yin?"

Nie Xianshan's gaze fell on the bronze furnace, but he could no longer sense the aura of Tian Huo San Mei Yin.

"They were originally one body — what's there to swallow or not swallow?"

Pang Pang Wenlong stood before the bronze furnace, reaching out to touch its wall, and could clearly sense the divine patterns flowing within.

The combination of divine patterns contained within is the essence of a Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing; merging weapons is the breaking apart and recombining of two sets of divine patterns.

"True enough. Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing originate from the Eight Directions Temple, so saying they were originally one body makes sense."

Long Xi Xiang was also sensing the bronze furnace, but his focus was different: "Merging is fine, but can it still be split apart?"

"Where there is joining, naturally there is parting."

Pang Pang Wenlong glanced at him, then turned to look at Li Yuan, who was standing rooted to the spot, somewhat lost:

"Kid Li?"

"Ah?"

Li Yuan came back to himself in an instant, though a tremor of shock still lingered in his heart:

【Dun Tian Zhou (Twelfth Order)】

【……Forged from a Rift Sea Star Core, mingled with all manner of rare treasures, all manner of wondrous scenes, and the spirits of star-beasts……refined through ritual and tempered in divine fire, having once drawn upon the fortune of many stars, thus gaining spiritual marvel……

A great Gu Gu Shentong user may split one into many; the various divine patterns draw fortune and grow strong; merged together, they may possess the qualification to advance to the Dao……

【Has merged Tian Huo San Mei Yin……】

【Condition of Mastery One: Absolute-rank lightness skill to completion, Dragon-Snake Form, Hundred Birds Form, Flame-type Spirit Aspect】(The spirit of the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing has not acknowledged a master)

【Effect of Mastery One: Twelfth Order (Black): Shift, Space Containment, San Mei Fire Essence】

【Condition of Mastery Two:???】

【Effect of Mastery Two:???】

Dun Tian Zhou had advanced!

Not only had its original two Eleventh Order mastery effects risen to Twelfth Order, the mastery effects of Tian Huo San Mei Yin had advanced as well!

But what truly shocked and moved him was 'the qualification to advance to the Dao'!

'Merging twelve Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing holds hope of advancing into a Dao Treasure?!'

Li Yuan's heart was shaken greatly.

Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing stood supreme in grade throughout the world, reaching as high as Eleventh Order; placed within Tian Shi Yuan, it could well be called a Spirit Treasure, and one far beyond any ordinary Spirit Treasure.

But the gulf between a Spirit Treasure and a Dao Treasure — how vast was it?

A top-grade Spirit Treasure was only Thirteen Order at most, while a Dao Treasure was at least Sixteen Order; the gap between the two was likely far greater than that between a firewood knife and a Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing!

"Has it acknowledged a master?"

Pang Pang Wenlong asked.

"It should be because of the addition of Tian Huo San Mei Yin — it hasn't acknowledged a master yet."

Li Yuan focused his senses briefly; his control over Dun Tian Zhou remained: "But it's not a big problem."

After the merging, the first mastery condition of Dun Tian Zhou gained an additional 'Flame-type Spirit Aspect', which he had not fulfilled, but it did not affect his ability to activate Dun Tian Zhou.

Moreover, he might not even need a flame spirit aspect; having handled many Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing, he had considerable experience in dealing with their spirits.

"If you think it's fine, then all's well."

Pang Pang Wenlong did not doubt him either, merely sensing briefly the incense fire within the bronze furnace: "The incense fire needed for this merging is quite a bit more than I expected."

Was it merely quite a bit more?

Hearing him bring this up, Li Yuan immediately felt a sharp pang of heartache.

Fully more than half of the incense fire on him was gone, leaving only a little over a third; even though he still had Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing on him, there was no longer enough incense fire to merge weapons.

"The imperial court is not short on incense fire — at the very least, it's enough for you to merge two more Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing."

Pang Pang Wenlong said no more, merely letting Li Yuan stay behind to explore and familiarize himself with the new Dun Tian Zhou, while he himself glanced at Long Long Yingchan and the other two:

"I have matters to discuss with you. Let's go."

Having said this, he turned and left. Long Long Yingchan was still somewhat curious about Dun Tian Zhou, but could only nod and follow.

"Hoo!"

Watching the four depart, Li Yuan walked over to the bronze furnace. With a thought, he stepped into it.

Hum~

High clouds, clear skies, mountains and earth.

The Mi Jing within the bronze furnace clearly came from Tian Huo San Mei Yin. Li Yuan swept his gaze and immediately spotted, among the mountains, a great archway bearing the words 'San Mei Cave'.

"The temperature is too high, the vegetation sparse."

Li Yuan cast a casual glance around; he had little interest in this barren Mi Jing. With a thought, he was already before San Mei Cave.

"Whoosh!"

Almost at the same moment, a child of about three chi in height leapt out with arms akimbo:

"Halt!"

"The Spirit of San Mei?"

Li Yuan looked him up and down.

The little child was barefoot, wearing only a crimson belly-band, with two small topknots on his head, glaring at him indignantly.

"You're not allowed to come in!"

The Samadhi Spirit watched Li Yuan warily: "You're not the one I've been waiting for. Leave quickly, or else…"

"Or else what?"

Li Yuan wasn't annoyed either; he watched with great interest.

Though his experience dealing with children was far less than his experience serving the old codger, he didn't pay much mind to this little fellow.

"Or else…"

The little child spoke, then suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a fireball the size of a fist:

"I'll burn you to death!"

Boom!

The fireball swelled the moment it met the wind, transforming in the blink of an eye into a sea of flames. The temperature around them shot up hundreds of times in an instant, and even with True Gang shielding his body, Li Yuan felt a parching heat at his mouth and nose.

But he had long been prepared—how could he possibly be hit by such a petty trick?

The instant the flames reached him, he had already shifted behind it, grabbing the back of its neck with one hand to lift it up, and bringing his other hand down in a slap:

"Slap!"

"Ah!"

How tremendous was the force of Li Yuan's hand?

The Samadhi Spirit only felt a violent pain in its bottom, hurting so badly its eyes saw stars; it was nearly slapped apart on the spot.

"You little thief, how dare you hit me?!"

The Samadhi Spirit shrieked and hollered. "Children shouldn't play with fire!"

Li Yuan raised his hand and delivered another slap, making this little runt howl without end:

"Little thief, little thief…"

He paid it no mind, just slap after slap—the harsher it cursed, the harder he hit. Before long, the once-arrogant brat was bawling with tears and snot streaming down its face.

"Will you dare again or not?"

Li Yuan lifted it up to face him.

"N-no, I won't dare anymore."

The Samadhi Spirit twitched, tears splattering onto the ground with a 'pitter-patter,' making a 'sizzle-sizzle' sound.

"Acknowledge your master."

Li Yuan's face was expressionless.

"I…"

"Hmm?"

!

Seeing Li Yuan raise his hand again, the Samadhi Spirit was so frightened it gave a shudder: "I can't acknowledge a master, y-you're not…"

"I'm not?"

Li Yuan gave a cold laugh, tossed the little thing to the ground, and quietly switched the weapon he was controlling, stacking his talent to its current limit.

Then, he walked slowly past that memorial archway.

Rumble!

The next moment, under the Samadhi Spirit's dumbfounded gaze, a stele the color of red-gold rose from the ground; characters flowed across its surface, bursting forth with dazzling Jin Guang:

【Divine-Demonic Talent!】

【Divine-Demonic Talent!】

【Eligible for: Inner-Gate Trial】

【Eligible for: True-Transmission Trial】

【Eligible for: Dao Child Trial】

【Divine-Demonic Talent—no Inner-Gate Trial required…no True-Transmission Trial required…no Dao Child Trial required…】

"Ah?!"

The Samadhi Spirit was greatly startled; even its sparse hair stood on end.

Rumble!

The bell suddenly exploded in sound, and a tremendous hum rang out from within the Samadhi Cave.

BONG~

BONG~

The bell tolled wildly, ringing eighteen times in succession.

Then, the red-gold stele's divine light dimmed, and a line of text regenerated:

【…The one hundred and sixty-third generation Dao Child of Samadhi Cave has taken his seat…】

"…"

The Samadhi Spirit was aghast and shocked, utterly unable to comprehend: "L-l-little thief… y-you…"

Li Yuan turned back, narrowing his eyes:

"What did you call me?"

The Samadhi Spirit shuddered and tumbled to the ground:

"D-Dao Child…"

"Good!"

Li Yuan nodded in satisfaction.

Before he could alter ten thousand forms, subduing a single Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing was already no longer difficult, let alone now that he had multiple Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing empowering him.

What inner sect true lineage, what trial and test — before god-and-demon-grade talent, none of it existed!

Wooo~

The cloud and mist behind the memorial archway gradually dispersed.

Li Yuan, dangling the little fellow in his hand, walked toward the depths of the Samadhi Cave.

……

……

Hum~

On the eighteenth floor of Dun Tian Zhou, Li Yuan sat cross-legged before the bronze furnace, sorting through what he had gained in the Samadhi Cave.

"The Soldier-Nurturing Scripture, the Elixir-Nurturing Scripture, the Body-Nurturing Scripture, the Sword-Imbued Scripture, the Mystic Armor Scripture, the Fire-Imbued Scripture… besides Dun Tian Zhou, one Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing, one scripture. A pity the Ning Ju Shen Jing hasn't been formed — practicing them is difficult."

Li Yuan closed his eyes and focused his spirit.

The scriptural meanings obtained from the six great Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing flowed through his heart. These six scriptures shared much in common, and the greatest commonality was that they required a Ning Ju Shen Jing.

He had not yet condensed a Ning Ju Shen Jing. Apart from one crude Soldier-Nurturing Ground, the other several divine Gong Fa were only committed to memory and had not truly been cultivated.

"These six Gong Fa share much in common. In theory, a single Yi Fang Shen Jing could contain them all at once — but my Soldier-Nurturing Ground was formed by relying on Elder Nie's Pure Yang Sword form, so its Mu Mu Xiantian is somewhat lacking. Otherwise, I could cultivate these several Gong Fa simultaneously…"

Li Yuan sensed his own Soldier-Nurturing Ground.

Within a Ban De Shen Jing like a Wang Yang, the crude Soldier-Nurturing Ground resembled a solitary little boat, with few soldier forms upon it — only the Pure Yang Sword and the Mystic Whale Battle Hammer.

The cultivation of these six Gong Fa was largely the same: gathering the corresponding divine patterns, or the corresponding Gong Fa's 'soldier forms,' 'elixir forms,' 'fire forms,' 'armor forms,' and the like.

Therefore, if the Soldier-Nurturing Ground were large enough, it might not be unable to contain all six scriptures at once.

"Splitting it in two is already hard; splitting it into six would likely cause it to collapse outright… but if there were divine patterns to nourish it, or pure soldier-form nourishment, it might not be impossible."

Li Yuan murmured to himself: "These six Gong Fa look very much like the 'Heavenly Craft Inheritance' recorded in the Compendium of Common Knowledge."

In Tian Shi Yuan — or rather, among the various realms — the arts of refining weapons, refining elixirs, and refining treasures were collectively called 'Heavenly Craft,' and a Heavenly Craft master with a name of his own stood higher than even a Divine Artisan of the Great Fortune Dynasty.

Of course, there were high and low among Heavenly Craft masters as well.

A Heavenly Craft master who refined dharma treasures naturally could not compare with those legendary, world-shocking Heavenly Craft masters who had once refined Dao Treasures.

"I'm short a fundamental method. The Kun Peng True Form Diagram might serve as one, but the required divine patterns can't be gathered…"

Li Yuan's thoughts drifted for a long while.

His current Qian De Kun Jing came from himself. He, who had always valued steadiness first, was unwilling to hastily settle on a fundamental method. The spirit phase and the Ning Ju Shen Jing concerned his future — he was unwilling to decide rashly.

The only one that caught his eye, the Kun Peng True Form Diagram, was also held back by the difficulty of obtaining divine patterns, and progress was repeatedly delayed.

"I still need to go to Tian Shi Yuan!"

(End of this chapter)