Chapter 439 – Fairy Ziling’s Breakthrough Opportunity, Great Shaman Body Forging Art Advances Further!
by spirapira【The Star Assembly was held as usual, with many tribes arriving one after another over the preceding four months.】
【And you also harvested a large quantity of Star Stones…】
【When leaving the Star Realm, you were tracked by Advent Cult cadres.】
【You lured them into the void, then easily killed the three pursuers.】
【The codenames of these three Advent Cult cadres were Blood Thirteen, Blood Eighteen, and Blood Twenty-One…】
【Among them, Blood Thirteen’s cultivation had already approached Golden Immortal.】
【This made you suspect that the Advent Cult’s top ten cadres were all at the Golden Immortal realm.】
【However, these cadres posed little threat to you now. The only ones you needed to watch out for were those ranked Blood Four and above… because only they possessed cultivation at Supreme Unity Golden Immortal level or higher!】
【After killing these three cadres, you concealed the karmic secrets, changed your identity and appearance, and headed to the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm.】
【You once again informed the Celestial Secrets Pavilion of intelligence about Earth, hoping the cultivators of the Azure Origin Domain would prepare early to resist the foreign races.】
【But this time, you did not recommend sending cultivators to hunt Red Moon. You merely told the Celestial Secrets Pavilion not to set foot on Earth, though they could conduct reconnaissance near it.】
【Because of your Golden Immortal cultivation, the Celestial Secrets Pavilion branch placed great trust in your intelligence and quickly dispatched cultivators to investigate.】
【After this matter was settled, you headed to the Azure Cloud Realm.】
【You successfully traded with Qingyunzi… and began “cultivating feelings” with Fairy Ziling.】
【She occasionally sparred with you, while you taught her the art of spirit cultivation.】
【Thus, ten years passed…】
【Over these ten years, you realized there was still a considerable gap between yourself and Fairy Ziling.】
【During this period, you also received news of Earth’s destruction…】
【Before departing, you gave Fairy Ziling the spirit cultivation insights you had painstakingly written.】
【Over the next twenty years, you collected the Luo Tian legacy and traveled to the Heavenly Secrets Domain.】
【In the thirtieth year, you arrived at the White Cloud Realm.】
【You entered the Luotian Realm and began cultivating the Celestial Primordial Tree.】
【Beyond your daily cultivation, you began studying the Artifact Dao!】
【As a former premier sect, the Luotian Sect possessed countless artifact refinement texts and materials, as well as Elder spirits skilled in artifact refinement to guide you.】
【One day in reality equaled one month inside the Luotian Mirror… Under this thirtyfold time differential, your comprehension of the Artifact Dao advanced rapidly.】
【Moreover, as you advanced to Golden Immortal, Fifth Layer, you clearly felt that maintaining the Luotian Mirror consumed less immortal power. The daily consumption decreased from most of your immortal power to less than half.】
【Thus, two hundred and seventy years passed…】
【Two hundred and seventy years in the outside world, but inside the Luotian Mirror… over eight thousand years had already elapsed!】
【Over these eight thousand-plus years, you spent nearly half your time devoted to studying the Artifact Dao.】
【With your current breadth of knowledge and foundation in Qi Refinement, you had read virtually every ancient text related to artifact refinement within the Luotian Sect.】
【Over eight thousand years, you refined tens of thousands of magical treasures of various grades.】
【Among them, you even forged an upper-grade supreme post-celestial treasure!】
【The quality of this treasure was sufficient to rank among the top hundred on the Treasure Rankings for post-celestial treasures…】
【But you were not satisfied. The gap between a post-celestial treasure and an innate treasure was self-evident!】
【Innate treasures were born from the nurturing of heaven and earth… To forge one through human effort was as difficult as ascending to the heavens!】
【In every era, the mighty beings capable of forging innate treasures could be counted on one hand.】
【In today’s cultivation world, only two Supreme Paragons of artifact refinement, given certain costs, could reliably forge an innate treasure.】
【But what others crafted might not suit your needs.】
【In the three hundredth year of simulation, you left the Luotian Realm and returned to the White Cloud Sect.】
【At this time, the Celestial Secrets Pavilion’s Celestial Vessel arrived.】
【You knew that your Artifact Dao had reached its limit and could advance no further — only within the Celestial Secrets Pavilion would you have an opportunity for breakthrough.】
【In the three hundred and twentieth year, the Celestial Vessel Defense Battle erupted…】
【In the three hundred and thirtieth year, you arrived safely at the Celestial Secrets Realm.】
【You spent some contribution points and donated numerous techniques and magical treasures, exchanging them for a large collection of artifact refinement texts from the Celestial Secrets Pavilion.】
【At the same time, you received guidance from one of only two Supreme Paragons in the world capable of forging innate treasures!】
【Over the following decades, your Artifact Dao continued to advance…】
【Time arrived at the four hundredth year.】
【This year, the first batch of Celestial Primordial Fruits ripened… In addition to cultivating the Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art and honing your artifact refinement skills, you now had the additional task of consuming Celestial Primordial Fruits and cultivating the Great Shaman Body Forging Art…】
【Time progressed slowly, and soon the five hundredth year arrived!】
【This year, you received a piece of intelligence…】
【The top of the Earth Ranking, second-generation disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect, Fairy Ziling — had advanced to Supreme Unity!】
【Your suspicion had been confirmed!】
In the Real World, Su Xing’s expression turned to one of understanding when he saw this.
“As expected! The key to Fairy Ziling’s breakthrough… lay in the art of spirit cultivation!”
“I never imagined that my casual act of goodwill would help Fairy Ziling succeed… and in turn, benefit myself!”
In the previous simulation, Fairy Ziling had taken a thousand years to achieve Supreme Unity, but now it had only taken five hundred.
This was proof enough that Su Xing’s insights into spirit cultivation had helped Fairy Ziling.
“So, with Fairy Ziling’s advancement… my position on the Earth Ranking would naturally rise by one spot… making me second on the Earth Ranking!”
“Now that my theory has been confirmed… the next step is to increase my strength and find a way to fight a Supreme Unity Golden Immortal!”
Su Xing began searching for a suitable target.
An enemy who had just entered the Supreme Unity Golden Immortal level, and preferably one who had some enmity with Su Xing!
After pondering for a long while, Su Xing settled on a target.
Advent Cult senior cadre, Blood Four!
“Blood Three is also at the Supreme Unity Golden Immortal level… but I probably wouldn’t be a match for him!”
“By comparison, the lower-ranked Blood Four is also a Supreme Unity Golden Immortal, but only at the initial stage…”
“If I remember correctly… in the first few hundred years, Blood Four should have been active in the Azure Origin Domain… and didn’t move to the Heavenly Secrets Domain until several hundred years later!”
Su Xing rubbed the bridge of his nose, a plan already forming in his mind.
Though his current strength meant he no longer feared Blood Four, he still didn’t have an overwhelming advantage!
For now, reaching Major Mastery in the Great Shaman Body Forging Art first would surely give him better odds!
With that thought, Su Xing nodded slightly:
“Very well. I’ll use this simulation to further consolidate my strength… and in the next simulation, I’ll make my name by defeating Blood Four!”
His gaze turned to the simulation panel.
【The news of Fairy Ziling’s advancement caused no small stir.】
【Because Fairy Ziling was already a peerless prodigy, the moment she advanced to Supreme Unity, she was placed on the Prodigy List’s Heaven Ranking!】
【Legend had it that across the Three Thousand Worlds, throughout all Five Great Domains, over the past million years, approximately three hundred Supreme Unity Golden Immortals had made names for themselves — including those who had perished but whose deaths remained undiscovered.】
【But among them, fewer than a third could make it onto the Heaven Ranking.】
【The majority of Supreme Unity Golden Immortals only possessed initial-stage power, so to make the Heaven Ranking… one needed at least mid-stage Supreme Unity Golden Immortal combat prowess!】
【Yet Fairy Ziling, having just become a Supreme Unity Golden Immortal, already possessed the ability to fight beyond her minor realm!】
【Upon learning of Fairy Ziling’s advancement, you felt happy for her in your heart.】
【But at the same time, you cultivated even harder.】
【A hundred years passed in the blink of an eye…】
【Time soon arrived at the six hundredth year!】
【After two hundred consecutive years of bitter cultivation… one day, you felt a stirring in your heart.】
【Your entire body’s vital energy surged dramatically, and your physical strength doubled in just a few days!】
【The Primordial Energy Tree within your body, which had stood at two zhang (6.66 m) and nine chi (3 m), finally grew by one chi (33.3 cm), breaking through to three zhang (9.99 m) in height!】
【On this day, you finally entered the Great Shaman Body Forging Art, Sixth Layer Major Mastery!】
In the Real World, Su Xing’s heart leapt with joy when he saw this, and he also breathed a sigh of relief:
“Wonderful, I’ve finally broken through to Major Mastery of the Great Shaman Body Forging Art!”
“With this, my overall strength… should surpass Tang Yiyi’s!”
“Though it’s only one chi (33.3 cm) of growth, it represents a qualitative transformation!”
“After reaching Major Mastery of the Great Shaman Body Forging Art… I now have the qualifications to contest a Supreme Unity Golden Immortal!”
Primordial energy was the foundation of body-tempering cultivators.
Its importance was no less than spiritual energy or immortal power within a Qi Refinement cultivator’s body!
And with the three-zhang (9.99 m) Great Shaman Body Forging Art, it was no exaggeration to say —
As long as the Primordial Energy Tree did not perish, Su Xing’s primordial energy would flow ceaselessly!
This meant… Su Xing now possessed an inexhaustible supply of primordial energy…
“Next, it’s time to push toward even higher realms!”
“To cultivate the Great Shaman Body Forging Art to Sixth Layer Perfection… requires the Primordial Energy Tree to reach nine zhang (29.97 m) and nine chi (3 m)!”
“When the Primordial Energy Tree breaks through to ten zhang (33.3 m)… it will also mean my Great Shaman Body Forging Art has officially entered the seventh layer!”
At this thought, Su Xing’s heart surged with yearning.
Because… the seventh layer of the Great Shaman Body Forging Art meant… ultimate regenerative ability and life force!
Legend had it that at the Peak of the seventh layer, one could regenerate from a single drop of blood!
Even if one’s physical body was shattered to pieces… one could revive in an extremely short time from a single drop of essence blood!
This power was in no way inferior to that of a Supreme Unity Golden Immortal!
“And the simulation is only at year six hundred… there’s still plenty of time. I can push my strength even higher!”
Su Xing murmured, turning his gaze to the simulation panel.
【After advancing further in body tempering, you did not relax and continued your bitter cultivation.】
【Ten years later, your cultivation broke through again, with your Qi Refinement reaching late-stage Golden Immortal, Fifth Layer!】
【Over the next nearly two hundred years, you continued cultivating the Great Shaman Body Forging Art, the Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art… and studying the Artifact Dao.】
【In the blink of an eye, the eight hundredth year arrived!】
【This year, a great war erupted!】
【You performed brilliantly in this battle, displaying the terrifying combat power of the second-ranked on the Earth Ranking, slaying hundreds of foreign race deities.】
【And that Six-Winged Deity also fell at your hands…】
【You took the Six-Winged Deity’s bone sword — a material capable of forging an innate treasure. You kept it, knowing it would be of great use.】
【In year eight hundred and ten, you began seeking instruction from White Emperor on the Sword Dao…】
In the Real World, Su Xing silently thought upon seeing this:
“Use immersive simulation…”
【Ding… Duration: 100 years. Remaining origin energy: 34,443,667 points…】
As the simulation Chime faded, Su Xing’s consciousness entered the simulated world.
…
Over the next ninety years,
Su Xing received White Emperor’s guidance.
Though he had already learned from White Emperor many times, each session brought new insights.
It was not until the ninetieth year of the immersive simulation, when Su Xing had exhausted all his treasures for comprehending the Great Dao, that he bid farewell to White Emperor.
“Ninety years of immersive simulation… What a pity. I’m still one step away from Sword Dao fifth realm Major Mastery!”
Su Xing sighed. Contending on the Great Dao only grew more difficult the further one climbed.
Being able to cultivate to just one step away from fifth realm Major Mastery was already a testament to Su Xing’s exceptional talent — combined with guidance from the greatest Sword Immortal under heaven.
“Alas… though I didn’t break through to fifth realm Major Mastery in one go, the sixth realm isn’t far off either… It’s just a matter of a few more simulations.”
Su Xing murmured.
“Next, I should enter the Mirror of The Void to further advance my Artifact Dao!”
A sharp gleam flashed in Su Xing’s eyes.
…
The immersive simulation soon ended, and Su Xing returned to reality.
After sorting through the memories in his mind, Su Xing let out a long, drawn-out sigh:
“After the art of spirit cultivation… I’ve finally reached the pinnacle of the Three Thousand Worlds in the Artifact Dao as well…”
Before entering the Mirror of The Void, Su Xing’s mastery of the Artifact Dao had already placed him at the forefront of the Three Thousand Worlds.
Apart from those two Paragons who could forge innate treasures, Su Xing was undeniably the world’s foremost artifact refiner.
And after the Mirror of The Void’s assistance, Su Xing had been spared countless years of effort, taking that crucial step forward in the Artifact Dao!
“Above Paragon… is Supreme Paragon!”
“Now, I too can be considered someone standing at the pinnacle of the Artifact Dao across the Three Thousand Worlds!”
Su Xing murmured.
In truth, the gap between a Paragon and a Supreme Paragon of artifact refinement was not as vast as Su Xing had imagined.
The sole difference was that a Supreme Paragon could forge innate treasures!
But forging an innate treasure required far too many factors and conditions.
Materials at the innate treasure level… forging proficiency, luck… and the artifact refiner’s own skill!
“Heaven and earth nurture treasures, born innately… these are innate treasures!”
“How could it be easy to forge an innate treasure through human effort?”
“Therefore, the two Supreme Paragons in the world… both possess either a certain secret technique or a special constitution that enables them to forge innate treasures.”
“Yet even so, they must pay an enormous price for merely a chance at success…”
Simply put, innate treasures were nurtured by heaven and earth, nearly impossible to forge by human hands.
Even if one managed to forge one, it required luck, and the price was extreme!
The same was true for Su Xing!
“Right now, my artifact refinement skills… probably can’t be improved further in the short term!”
“Next, I need to gather materials and use the Blood Sacrifice Forging talent… to attempt forging an innate treasure!”
Su Xing murmured.
For him, as long as the power was sufficient, he could naturally forge an innate treasure.
Alternatively, Su Xing also had a “brute force method”!
He could use his own primordial energy to slowly nurture the Blackice sword, and after countless years, the Blackice sword would naturally transform.
But this would undoubtedly require an enormous amount of time, and Su Xing had no plans to do so in the near term.
“Phew… It’s time to set out and prepare to head for the Nine Heavens Domain!”
“The Shadow Deity’s twin claws… are also excellent materials for forging an innate treasure!”
Su Xing’s gaze turned to the simulation panel.
【In the nine hundred and tenth year, you left the Heavenly Secrets Domain and headed for the Nine Heavens Domain…】
【After arriving at the Nine Heavens Domain, you found a secluded location and began cultivating.】
【In the one thousand one hundredth year, the Shadow Deity came looking for you.】
【After considerable effort, you slew it and obtained the critical materials for forging the Blackice sword…】
【This year, your cultivation advanced to Golden Immortal, Fifth Layer Peak!】
【The Primordial Energy Tree within your body had grown to three zhang (9.99 m) and three chi (99.9 cm)!】
【Within the Seventh Heaven, you formally began forging the Blackice sword…】
【The difficulty of forging an innate treasure was self-evident.】
【You brought out the innate-grade materials you had prepared in advance.】
【These included the Shadow Deity’s twin claws, the Six-Winged Deity’s bone sword… and an Innate Fusion Gold Stone exchanged from the Celestial Secrets Pavilion!】
【Innate treasures are extremely durable. Only with this Innate Fusion Gold Stone could the materials be smelted…】
【Even so, fusing the materials took you nearly sixty years!】
【It was not until year one thousand one hundred and sixty that the two materials were successfully smelted together with the Blackice sword…】
【Next, you began quenching, shaping, and spirit-imbuing…】
【The entire process took another forty years!】
【Time arrived at the one thousand two hundredth year…】
【By this point, the Blackice sword, after nearly a century of your refinement, had risen in quality to the level of a supreme post-celestial treasure!】
【But ultimately, it had not yet crossed the threshold into an innate treasure…】
【And so, you activated your final talent — Blood Sacrifice Forging…】