Chapter 661: Seventh-Rank Tribulation Record (Combined Chapter)

Only five inheritors per generation?

On the other side of the light screen, Yu Yu Wangxian wore a smile. It was a rhetorical question, but in effect, it was also an answer.

Li Yuan's mind stirred, and he had already guessed what she meant—nothing more than that only one slot remained, and she could help him with it.

'This junior brother really can keep his composure.'

Seeing that Li Yuan still neither answered nor asked, Yu Yu Wangxian found it rather interesting: "What are you thinking, junior brother? Surely you don't think that by tempting you with benefits, your senior sister is asking you to do something extremely dangerous?"

What else could it be?

Li Yuan said nothing, his meaning self-evident.

Regarding the Demon-Slaying Sword, Fayin Fayin Tongzi had been tight-lipped. Now, learning that only five people per generation could inherit it, Li Yuan would be lying to say he wasn't curious—but it was only curiosity.

Mount Mount Dongxuan counts a generation as a thousand years, and in their generation, there were already five true inheritors. This Demon-Slaying Sword must either have demanding cultivation requirements, or involve some danger—otherwise, it wouldn't have fallen to Yu Yu Wangxian and Yu Yu Xuanji.

Thus, with a slight turn of thought, Li Yuan had already calmed his mind.

Master Li had always been a man who could keep his composure. After a moment of silence, he inquired:

"Why doesn't senior sister first tell me what you want me to do?"

Speak of the matter first—if it's not dangerous, then negotiate the price; if it is dangerous, then there's nothing to discuss.

Li Yuan certainly wouldn't say this aloud, but Yu Yu Wangxian naturally saw through it. She was inwardly amused, and after a moment's thought, said:

"According to the rules of Mount Mount Dongxuan, you haven't received the Master's permission, so the secrets of cultivating the Demon-Slaying Sword cannot be spoken to you… Hmm, let me put it this way: my Demon-Slaying Immortal-Slaying Sword has already been refined to a critical juncture, and what I need you to do is related to this."

Just hearing that, it sure sounds dangerous…

Li Yuan grumbled inwardly and tentatively asked: "Does senior sister want to hire me to refine the spirit sword?"

"The meaning is roughly that, but it's not refining, it's…"

Even though they were only conversing through the Tongshiqiu, Yu Yu Wangxian still instinctively lowered her voice:

"Refining demons!"

"Refining demons?"

Li Yuan's heart jolted, and he vaguely sensed this must touch upon the secrets of the Five Demon-Slaying Swords.

"Bound by sect rules, I cannot say more."

Yu Yu Wangxian picked up her Cha Bei Pin and took a sip: "I can only say that this matter may carry some danger for you, but it also holds tremendous benefit. Whether or not you eventually inherit the Demon-Slaying Immortal-Slaying Sword…"

Immortal-Slaying Sword?

This was a roundabout way of telling him that only the very last slot remained among the Five Demon-Slaying Swords.

Li Yuan was lost in thought. He rarely sensed such 'sincerity' from this senior sister. After considering, he asked:

"Senior sister comes from the Boatman Sea, ranks among the foremost of the inner disciples, and is a remarkable figure with prospects of true inheritance. With just one word from you, surely millions would rush to do your bidding—why seek me out?"

"Junior brother, you underestimate yourself."

Having come this far in the conversation, Yu Yu Wangxian felt it didn't matter to say a bit more:

"There's no other reason. That demon-refining ground not only has strict requirements on the entrant's realm, but also on their innate talent…"

"I see."

Li Yuan already had some guesses about that demon-refining ground—either an alternate dimension, or a strange land.

Only such bizarre places would have such peculiar rules.

"May I ask, senior sister, what specific restrictions does that demon-refining ground have?"

Li Yuan asked again.

"Those of the fifth realm may not enter."

Yu Yu Wangxian was concise.

"…Junior brother is only of the second realm."

Li Yuan was instantly at a loss. This is what she calls 'some danger'?!

"Given junior brother's talent, reaching the Xiu Cheng San Jing would take at most a dozen or so years. If you also refine some Dao Soldiers, you might well contest with those of the fourth realm."

Yu Yu Wangxian didn't press too hard. She only said, "Junior brother, cultivate well. Once you reach the third realm, I'll come find you again," and then dispersed the light projection of the Tongshiqiu.

"I have Dao Soldiers—don't fourth-realm cultivators have them too?"

Li Yuan shook his head inwardly.

He suspected that if he hadn't resisted so strongly, this senior sister might very well have immediately stuffed him with a squad of Dao Soldiers and sent him off to that demon-refining ground at the second realm.

"A demon-refining ground where fifth-realm cultivators may not enter…"

Li Yuan committed all of Yu Yu Wangxian's words to memory. In any case, he hadn't agreed. As for her coming back to find him after he reached the third realm—that could be dealt with when the time came.

"If I can synthesize a complete Dun Tian Zhou, and refine a squad of fourth-realm Dao Soldiers, then that demon-refining ground might not be off-limits. A place that a quasi-true-inheritor disciple has set her heart on…"

As these thoughts turned in Li Yuan's mind, he had already opened the Tongshiqiu's friend-visit interface.

After a moment of deliberation, he greeted the Lingshu Immortal Child, informed him of the four arts he had chosen, and asked about the points to note when practicing them.

Finally, he casually brought up the demon-refining ground.

"Demon-refining ground?!"

In the quiet bamboo grove, immersed in the Grand Void Myriad Phenomena, Fayin Fayin Tongzi—who had only split off a sliver of attention to converse with Li Yuan—was inwardly shaken:

"Where did you learn about the demon-refining ground?"

"This…"

Li Yuan's face was full of difficulty, and he stammered without speaking.

"Was it that big-bearded Yu Yu Wangxian?!"

Fayin Fayin Tongzi was instantly furious. Even though Li Yuan shook his head repeatedly, it couldn't stop the former's ingrained stereotype—he was firmly convinced it was Yu Yu Wangxian, and launched into a long string of curses.

'Could it be that the one who cursed Fayin Fayin Tongzi as "a hairy, horned creature" was Yu Yu Wangxian?'

Master Li's mind was exceedingly sharp. In one glance, he saw that Fayin Fayin Tongzi wasn't standing up for him out of righteousness, but had long harbored resentment toward that Senior Brother Yu.

"The Demon Refining Ground is not a place you can go."

After venting, the Lingshu Dao Child calmed down:

"The Demon Refining Immortal-Slaying Sword — as the name suggests, refining demons comes first, slaying immortals second. To forge this sword…"

At this point, the Lingshu Dao Child suddenly realized he had misspoken, and after cutting himself off warned Li Yuan: "Only cultivators of the Fourth Realm with absolutely top-tier aptitude can forge this sword. With your meager cultivation, don't get involved in this matter!"

"Many thanks for the guidance, Immortal Child. This junior understands."

Seeing how seriously he spoke, Li Yuan naturally answered in a solemn voice.

"Your fortune is not bad. The bookworm who recommended spells to you did not deceive you. These four spells, whether in power or potential, are all top-grade. Just focus on cultivating your arts. Within Mount Mount Dongxuan, no one will dare force you!"

The Lingshu Dao Child spoke and again let slip: "You entered through the Receiving Divine Fire, not…"

"Mm?"

Li Yuan's spirit jolted slightly, but the Lingshu Immortal Child, aware he had misspoken, had already ended the conversation.

"Not what? Not an ordinary inner disciple?"

Li Yuan suddenly thought of Dong Dong Ershisan, who at the time had also seemed to hint obliquely that entering through the Receiving Divine Fire differed from other methods of entry.

"It must be related to being promoted to True Inheritor!"

Li Yuan noted this matter down, and was in no hurry to get to the bottom of it.

Mount Mount Dongxuan is very different from Longhu Longhu Dandan. Promotion to True Inheritor is extremely strict — no matter how great one's innate talent, one cannot become a True Inheritor at the Second Realm.

……

The 666th-level Lesser Grotto-Heaven.

If Li Yuan were here, he would see that this Lesser Grotto-Heaven belonging to Yu Yu Fa Huan Zhen was more than a dozen times larger than his own — clearly, multiple fragments of otherworldly dimensions had been merged into it.

Within this Lesser Grotto-Heaven, among the rolling mountains many exotic beasts were kept; on the boundless plains, much spiritual rice was planted; and in the rivers, spiritual fish swam.

Tens of thousands of spirit puppets and Dao soldiers roamed everywhere — some watering the spiritual rice, some tilling the spiritual fields, some catching spiritual fish, some brewing spiritual wine…

At the center of the Lesser Grotto-Heaven, atop a wondrous peak called "Jade Mountain," Yu Yu Fa Huan Zhen sat quietly sipping tea in a cliffside pavilion.

"How was it?"

After ending the conversation, Yu Yu Fa Huan Zhen suddenly asked.

Behind her head, the Sun-Reflecting Treasure Mirror shimmered with a faint light, and spoke with some admiration:

"This man is cautious and careful, respectful in manner yet unafraid, unmoved by profit and unstartled by force — he is a true seed of cultivation."

"The path of cultivation is long and arduous. Those who seek only the moment die in the moment; those who take risks often die in dangerous places. This Junior Brother Li is indeed a cultivator."

Yu Yu Fa Huan Zhen gently turned her teacup:

"High aptitude, sufficient heart-nature. If cultivated, although he has no chance of being promoted to True Inheritor, in time he will surely be able to forge the 'Dharma Heaven.'"

The dark-red treasure mirror trembled lightly:

"Then what do you mean?"

"He has been here less than a month, suddenly gained inheritance and is not short on Shan Gong. Profit cannot move his heart, but as long as he harbors the thought of True Inheritance, responding to me is only a matter of time."

Yu Yu Fa Huan Zhen was very certain.

Along her path, she first joined the Boatman Sea, then Mount Mount Dongxuan, going from an auditor to the fifth-ranked inner disciple. Even with the Boatman Sea backing her, she still had to take risks many times.

If it was so for her, how could Li Yuan be an exception?

"Perhaps he is an ascetic cultivator?"

The Sun-Reflecting Treasure Mirror trembled lightly.

"Dharma, wealth, companions, land — these are the essentials of cultivation. He can't even afford to exchange for a single great scripture — what makes him an ascetic? The offerings within the sect cannot raise a true dragon!"

Yu Yu Fa Huan Zhen waved her hand and said:

"Set aside the matter of Li Yuan for now, but the exploration of the Demon Refining Ground cannot stop. Send others in first — make sure the Dao soldiers are fully prepared!"

"Yes!"

……

Hum~

The sea of consciousness churned, waves surging up.

Li Yuan activated the "Five Senses Set" to empower himself and gazed into the distance within his sea of consciousness.

Faintly, a sea of stars could be seen, deep and dark, with a great tree taking root within it, its canopy covering the starry sky, and star rivers shifting and transforming among its branches and leaves.

After the Three Essences merged as one and magic power was forged, when Li Yuan observed this Green Emperor Longevity Scripture again, he felt it was unfathomably wondrous, vast and boundless — gazing at it was like gazing at a sea of stars.

"This Eastern Extreme Green Emperor Longevity Scripture is truly beyond comprehension. Worthy of being a scripture-grade Gong Fa. With my current aptitude, even entry is so difficult — for anyone else, there would probably be no hope of entry at all…"

After a long while, Li Yuan slowly opened his eyes, feeling his spirit had been greatly depleted.

A single scripture observation was comparable to fighting a life-and-death battle.

"It's not entirely without gain."

After his mind recovered somewhat, Li Yuan took out his disciple token, gently pinched it, and looked over the hundred-plus books he had borrowed from the Scripture Pavilion.

Rustle rustle~

Li Yuan split his attention, flipping through several books at once.

Among the books he borrowed this time, aside from some on spells, most were related to this Green Emperor Longevity Scripture. Shu Shu Haoshou had indeed given his all in recommending them — many contained the cultivation insights of cultivators who had practiced the Longevity Scripture.

"The Three Essences merging as one to forge magic power is the basic condition for cultivating this great scripture, and the magic power cultivated is best of the 'Water Method' or 'Wood Method'…"

"The first step of cultivating the Longevity Scripture: plant a tree!"

"Choose a suitable tree species, nurture it with magic power until its qi and spirit merge with your own, then transplant it into the Ru Shen Jing. Use the spirit as soil, magic power as water, then gather various divine patterns to feed its growth. When the tree reaches the heavens, that is entry…"

……

Li Yuan was reading through these cultivation insights. He did not blindly trust any single one, but compared multiple insights, dissecting and chewing them over in his mind, analyzing the various difficulties and techniques of cultivating this great scripture.

And no matter which insight it was, whether the cultivator practiced the Xiu Shui Fa, the Wood Method, or even the Fire Method, the first step of entry into this great scripture was to plant a tree.

"Using the divine as earth, the dharma as water—no wonder I gained nothing from reading this scripture before breaking through to Unity…"

Li Yuan was very serious, studying it word by word, sentence by sentence.

These insights were priced very low in the Scripture Pavilion, but to him they were extremely precious; he not only read them through word by word, he even committed the 'signatories' of these insights to memory.

Splitting his attention, and with the Five Senses aiding him, Li Yuan needed only a single day to commit all the insights to memory.

Still feeling somewhat unsatisfied, he went to the Scripture Pavilion again. This time, what he wanted to borrow and exchange were insights from senior brothers of his generation or recent generations who had cultivated this scripture.

Mount Mount Dongxuan strongly supported disciples in creating dharmas and arts; insights and the like, once judged by the Bookworms, could also be recorded in the Scripture Pavilion. Not only would one receive a reward of Shan Gong, but a portion of the Shan Gong paid by subsequent readers would also go to the creator.

"There are rather few within the sect who cultivate the Green Emperor Longevity Scripture…"

Li Yuan flipped through the newly borrowed insights, but was not surprised.

Mount Mount Dongxuan's current generation of disciples numbered less than two hundred in total; even counting the previous four generations, it was only a little over a thousand, and those who cultivated the Green Emperor Longevity Scripture were even fewer.

And most of them were inner disciples.

He flipped through for half a day, and among the disciples of the past five generations of Mount Mount Dongxuan, there were only three auditors and registered disciples who had cultivated this scripture…

"The step of planting the tree is more or less the same."

Comparing the insights of the many senior brothers, Li Yuan discovered that the greatest difference lay in the spiritual tree chosen.

Among them, the most frequently chosen was naturally the Shan Xuan Teng She.

Among the many spiritual trees, this snake's potential and power were only middling, but because its cultivation difficulty was relatively low and it had the advantage of being mobile, most chose this snake.

Of course, there was another point not explicitly mentioned in the insights, but which Li Yuan had guessed: if one failed to cultivate the Green Emperor Longevity Scripture, the cost of switching to another cultivation was smaller.

Next came superior tree species such as 'Yuan Tree,' 'Yanfu,' and 'Bodhi.' The insights contained many descriptions of such tree species—in short, each had its own marvels, each its own pros and cons.

"For me, the Shan Xuan Teng She is also the most suitable."

Comparing the various spiritual trees, Li Yuan also felt the Shan Xuan Teng She was excellent—like wood, like vine, like snake—easy to transplant, and moreover, the most people had cultivated the Green Emperor Longevity Scripture with this tree.

The last point was very important to Li Yuan.

The reason was simple: the Shan Xuan Teng She was half spiritual plant, half snake, and snakes shed their slough!

"If the snake slough can be wielded, then I can cultivate the Green Emperor Longevity Scripture in an extremely short time. Using water dharma to nurture wood dharma, my magic power can likewise shed and transform to the Zhi Shang Pin level!"

"Refining wood-dharma Zhi Shang Pin magic power will not delay the later cultivation of the Black Emperor Dark Abyss Scripture. Like that Senior Brother Gu Shan Xuan Sheng, cultivating both water and wood!"

Li Yuan had a deep impression of this Senior Brother Gu.

Not only because he cultivated both water and wood great scriptures, but also because he was the earliest to enter the sect among the current generation of inner disciples. When the Lingshuz Daotong recommended dharma spells for him to cultivate, he mentioned this person more than once.

"Next, I shall practice dharmas for now, and incidentally inquire whether any senior brother has left behind a snake slough…"

After committing all the cultivators' insights to memory, Li Yuan had a plan in mind, and only then began to study those four dharma spells.

The cultivation of dharma spells was somewhat similar to refining magic power: one still had to gather scenery and expand divine patterns, ultimately condensing divine prohibitions. Carrying them within the Yi Shen Jing marked entry.

The difficulty among them was still how to condense the divine prohibitions.

"For me, the most troublesome part of practicing dharma spells is still gathering divine patterns… This is the one inconvenience within Mount Mount Dongxuan—there are no divine patterns to buy…"

After reading through the detailed explanations of the many dharma spells once, Li Yuan had no more confusion about condensing dharma spells, but practicing dharma spells was far more troublesome than practicing martial arts, mainly because of gathering divine patterns.

Mount Mount Dongxuan was very large, containing within it four seas, nine layers of Gang Wind Heaven, and endless sea islands. Cultivation resources were also abundant; spiritual rice, spiritual medicines, and spiritual pills could all be freely purchased.

But Mount Mount Dongxuan was also very small.

Not to mention disciples of previous generations, even among his own generation there were less than two hundred disciples, and most were not in the mountain, so many things simply had nowhere to be bought.

"Tian Shi Yuan has ninety-three Xiancheng, each one a gathering place for cultivators, with all kinds of cultivation supplies complete, and the trade in divine patterns is also very mature—at least practicing dharma spells would be far more convenient…"

Li Yuan shook his head inwardly, but in truth understood this was his own doing.

The realm he had when he entered Mount Mount Dongxuan was too low; the divine patterns he needed were simply not within the scope of what those senior brothers gathered.

……

……

The Weapon-holding Space, the gray Dingxin Dingxin Shitai.

On the Human Tribulation Platform, Li Yuan held the white Human Tribulation Rod, sitting and fishing. Splitting his attention, while holding the rod he was also pondering the several dharma spells he had learned.

"Hoo~"

At a certain moment, Li Yuan sensed something and heard a faint sound in the darkness:

"It's biting!"

Feeling the tremor in the Human Tribulation Rod in his hand, Li Yuan—an experienced fisherman by now—sat as steady as a mountain. A moment later, judging the timing, he yanked the rod hard.

With a 'whoosh,' a great python over ten zhang long was flung onto the gray stone platform; though already dead, it was still convulsing ceaselessly.

"Another Black Fierce Python!"

Li Yuan felt rather speechless—the randomness of the Human Tribulation Platform was even greater than that of the Palm Sound Talisman.

This Black Fierce Python had not entered the realm; in terms of value, it was more or less the same as the 'seventh-tier Incense Fire' he had used as bait—he could only say he hadn't lost out.

And he had already hooked over a dozen Black Fierce Pythons in a row.

"Not a loss either—I can give the Shan Xuan Teng She an extra meal."

Comforting himself with a word, Li Yuan put down the Human Tribulation Rod; he felt his luck was bad today and it was not auspicious to fish.

However…

"The Tribulation-holding Register can be promoted!"

Li Yuan felt a little comforted, and without hesitation, his mind moved, choosing to promote the Tribulation-holding Register.

Boom!

Almost at the same instant his thought moved, the familiar great roar had already exploded from the depths of his soul.

Even though Li Yuan had already been promoted to Unity, he still felt his vision go black. Within the Mud Pill Palace, Wang Yang shook violently, monstrous waves surging sky-high, and the Kun Peng spirit image hidden at the seabed let out a roar as if startled.

"Still, this sound has enough kick!"

Li Yuan gave a muffled grunt, but unlike before, he did not faint outright; he even retained a sliver of consciousness to inwardly observe the Weapon-holding Space.

He saw the grey stone platform trembling violently, expanding at a speed visible to the naked eye, while outside the platform, the deep darkness beyond the coverage of the Soldier-Commanding Register churned like boiling water.

After a long while, the tremors subsided.

Li Yuan rested for quite a while before entering the stone platform. He looked around — the platform was just as before, doubled in size, yet nothing extra had appeared.

"Could that tremendous sound have come from deep within the Opening Gui Xu?"

Staring into the heart-palpitating darkness, this thought flashed through Li Yuan's mind.

He had been a disciple of Mount Mount Dongxuan for three months now. Though limited by his meager purse and unable to borrow books every day, his understanding of all matters related to cultivation had already deepened considerably.

Such as the You Jing and the Opening Gui Xu.

The surface of the Opening Gui Xu is the You Jing; deep within the You Jing lies the Opening Gui Xu.

The land of Opening Gui Xu is wondrous and strange, with endless alternate dimensions existing within it.

Li Yuan somewhat suspected that the tremendous sound he heard when advancing his various Registers might have originated from some alternate dimension — though of course, it was only a guess in his heart.

【Seven-Tier Calamity-Commanding Register】

【Available Calamity Heavens: 10 (once per century)】

【Activated: Human Calamity Platform (Seven-Tier)】

【Calamity Objects three hundred times (Seven-Tier); the Calamity-Commanding Register can advance to Eight-Tier】

"No substantial change, but after the Calamity-Commanding Register advances to Seven-Tier, it should satisfy the conditions for holding another Heaven-Bestowed Register ceremony, right?"

Li Yuan murmured to himself. Though the advancement of the Calamity-Commanding Register brought no surprises, he still held considerable anticipation for his fourth Register.

"…In a certain minor grotto-heaven of Mount Mount Dongxuan, a precious mirror gleams, illuminating the void, within which a Seeking-the-Secluded Map is reflected. Surrounded by numerous Dao Soldiers, an acquaintance cautiously explores in the darkness…"

After the tremendous sound from the advancement of the Calamity-Commanding Register faded, the Ling Yin De Pin also arrived in due time. Apart from the first few days after joining Mount Mount Dongxuan, Li Yuan had never stopped listening to the Ling Yin De Pin.

"Precious mirror, Seeking the Secluded? Could it be Yu Yu Xuanji?"

Hearing this Ling Yin De Pin, Li Yuan's heart stirred, and he could not help but recall the 'Sun-Reflecting Precious Mirror' he had glimpsed when Yu Yu Xuanji brought him to his cave dwelling that day.

That precious mirror had the ability to see through the real and the void, to enter the void itself. Had he not had the Soldier-Commanding Register on him, he might not have detected that mirror's spying at all.

"Concerning the Refining Demon Immortal-Slaying Sword, Yu Yu Xuanji naturally wouldn't seek out only me."

The more Li Yuan thought about it, the more he felt his guess was correct. He continued listening to the Ling Yin De Pin, but unfortunately did not hear any follow-up.

The listening range of the Sound-Commanding Register was closely tied to him. Since joining Mount Mount Dongxuan, he had heard no shortage of Ling Yin De Pin regarding the various minor grotto-heavens of Mount Mount Dongxuan.

But most were only about the minor grotto-heavens; he rarely heard intelligence about other senior disciples.

Regarding this, Li Yuan was somewhat puzzled, but he obtained the answer from the Scripture-Storing Pavilion — namely, 'Cang Xing Fa' arts, which, as the name suggests, are for concealing one's form.

There were many such arts in the Scripture-Storing Pavilion, and every disciple of Mount Mount Dongxuan would practice one or even several of them. The reason was simple: with such arts upon one's body, one could evade others' Ge Kong Zhou killing, and even the calculations of heavenly secrets.

Li Yuan later tried many times and found that whenever the Ling Yin De Pin involved such cultivators, the quality of the Ling Yin De Pin would plummet.

"Mm?"

Li Yuan heard another Ling Yin De Pin concerning a disciple of Mount Mount Dongxuan.

"…The registered disciple of Mount Mount Dongxuan, 'Qi Yun', obtained a fortuitous encounter in the alternate dimension 'Shan Xuan Yin Fa Jie', and prepares to return to Mount Mount Dongxuan to enter closed-door cultivation to condense a 'Dharma Heaven'…"

"Dharma Heaven!"

Li Yuan's heart jolted, and he had already reacted in an instant.

The most complex type of disciple in Mount Mount Dongxuan was the registered disciple — either those connected to successive generations of True Transmission disciples, or powerful figures from the myriad heaven realms who came seeking refuge to avoid calamities.

Such registered disciples were truly just registered in name.

"Dharma Heaven, ah."

Li Yuan noted down the name of this registered senior disciple, preparing to add him as a friend before his advancement:

"If I can enlist this senior disciple, relocating the Great Fortune Star won't be a problem."

Li Yuan continued listening to the Ling Yin De Pin.

But regrettably, apart from these two Ling Yin De Pin, the only one that interested him was that 'Shan Xuan Xuanjing Daozi', 'Feng Huang'er', and others had once again intercepted that Blood Phoenix.

However, he had heard no shortage of similar Ling Yin De Pin over these three months.

"The mountain gate of the Weave-Heaven Dao Sect is truly not easy to enter."

Li Yuan recorded all the Ling Yin De Pin in their entirety, then stopped this session of listening.

The reason was simple — the Sound-Commanding Register could also advance now.

(End of this chapter)