C414 Sixth Refinement!
Whoosh!
A chilling gust swept through the Skeleton Pavilion, carrying with it countless crystalline grains that coalesced into a resplendent Yang God Demon Body, forged of gold metal and radiating brilliance.
The dense spiritual energy within, as boundless as the ocean, threatened to spill over, infusing the formidable body to its brim.
A new surge of demonic power now filled the pavilion, rivaling the formidable energies of the Raven Lord.
Xu Zixi, of the Soul Wandering Stage, visibly paled at the emergence of the Demonic Body. The seven pythons entwined around her shivered with dread, compelled to draw upon her blood and Qi to stay rational and composed, lest their fear betray them with a defensive stance that would signal hostility.
The Demonic Body, as solid and heavy as forged gold, underwent another transformation, this time enshrouded in a black robe.
Its features, subtly altered by the demonic light, ultimately settled into the form of a tall, imposing middle-aged man crowned with golden regalia.
He cast a glance at Xu Zixi.
With a nervous chuckle, Xu Zixi bowed respectfully, "Greetings, Lord Heixun."
"Hmm," the figure acknowledged with a nod. "Your efforts in the Absence Relic have been commendable. The Demonic Seed from the Red Devil Sect has shown great promise. His recent actions have indeed tipped the scales in our favor."
"You flatter me, my lord," Xu Zixi quickly replied.
She was well aware that Lord Heixun, the overseer of the Ember Waters, was a formidable practitioner in the late period of the Yang God Stage.
Heixun had clashed with the upper sects of the Heavenly Source Continent in the extraterrestrial realms and was subsequently reprimanded by the Devil Palace, which recalled him from the outer domains.
His confinement to the Ember Waters was the Devil Palace's concession to the three upper sects.
Known for his ruthlessness in the Boundless Land, Heixun bore a deep-seated enmity with the sects of the Heavenly Source Continent. So intense was his grudge that even after ascending to the Yang God realm and venturing beyond the heavens, he struggled to rein in his temper.
He was meant to join forces with the upper sects to combat the Cosmic Devils and exterminate the Galaxy Alien Race, yet he frequently clashed with the sects' high-ranking practitioners.
To temper his fiery spirit, the Devil Palace tasked him with the stewardship of the Ember Waters, forbidding his return to the stars to prevent further strife between the Heavenly Source and Quietus Continents.
"Step outside."
With a huff, Raven Lord waved his hand, which resembled a chicken's claw, signaling that he needed to speak privately with Heixun.
Xu Zixi dutifully exited the Withered Bone Hall.
"How did that kid, Yu Yuan, get inside?" Heixun asked, his brow furrowed, his eyes dark and abyssal. Upon closer inspection, it was as if one could see rivers winding through the depths of his gaze. "That place is beyond the reach of our soul's senses and our sight."
"Heixun! You're asking me?!"
Raven Lord, visibly irate, stamped his foot and pointed at him as he shouted, "I spotted that boy even before he entered the Ember Waters. He traveled here aboard the Silver Rainbow Magic Shuttle, escorted by the Devil Envoy! And now you, from the Devil Palace, have the nerve to question me?"
"You're nothing but a noisy crow," Heixun muttered, massaging his temples in frustration. "I didn't come to hold you accountable, so calm down. We are responsible for guarding the three locations beneath the sea. Only you and I, stationed here in the Ember Waters, were aware of those places."
"I'm here to discuss what we should do about this situation," Heixun continued.
"There are rules to follow; we can't simply descend," Raven Lord replied, his tone now more measured. "However, we could send some of the younger ones below to investigate. The only issue is..."
Heixun shook his head. "Better not. They're too conspicuous. One slip, and they could give us away. If the upper sects learn about the three uncharted locations beneath the Ember Waters, we'll have a real problem on our hands."
In the past, disciples from the three upper sects and seven lower sects have died under mysterious circumstances.
The official line from the Demon Palace was that they strayed from the Ember Waters' boundaries and met their own demise—no one else to blame.
But the truth was more complicated.
With the revelation of these three enigmatic sites, the old excuses wouldn't hold water.
The sects mourning their lost prodigies would surely demand retribution and seek justice from the Demon Palace.
"So, what's your suggestion?" Raven Lord pressed, with a hint of challenge in his voice.
"I came to find you specifically to urge caution," Heixun said, carefully selecting his words to avoid provoking the old crow and inviting further complications. "Stay calm and refrain from any rash actions. Allow me to handle this situation, alright?"
"Heixun! That kid! He managed to get in, didn't he?" the Raven Lord bellowed. "We both know what's inside that place he entered! Did your Devil Palace take a liking to him and decide to extend an olive branch, revealing the secrets to him in a roundabout way?"
Heixun felt an even greater headache coming on. "We would never do such a thing. Look, I've got this under control. You just sit tight for now."
...
Chi!
Another speck of Sun Essence Fire descended into the vortex created by the nine "little suns," undergoing refinement by the "Glorious Heavenly Wheel."
In the Alien Realm, Yu Yuan was in high spirits!
Above the Yellow Court Little World, within the ethereal mist of Spiritual Qi, five streaks of crimson lightning had appeared!
These bolts arced across his Yellow Court Little World like five vibrant rainbows!
With a mere flicker of thought.
The lightning bolts converged and solidified into five clusters of crimson flames.
"After refining these five points of Sun Essence Fire and integrating them into the Yellow Court, they should be able to be unleashed as crimson lightning during combat."
"A single bolt of crimson lightning should suffice to slay a warrior at the Profound Break Stage. That shouldn't be an issue."
"As for someone like Tang Can, who practices flame-based techniques and has reached the Penetrating Stage, and being the grandson of Tang Zheng, he carries valuable treasures. A single cluster of Sun Essence Fire might not be fatal to him, possibly shielded by some artifact. But what if there are two clusters, or three, or even five unleashed simultaneously?"
"…"
Yu Yuan continued to ponder the marvelous potential of the Sun Essence Fire as he refined it, contemplating the best way to harness its power.
Eventually, the sixth point of Sun Essence Fire transformed into a thread of scarlet fire under the "Glorious Heavenly Wheel's" refinement, shooting out from the vortex.
The Yellow Court aperture's suction was reinvigorated!
Swoosh!
As the sixth Sun Essence Fire entered the Yellow Court Little World in the guise of scarlet lightning, an extraordinary transformation began to unfold within this miniature realm!
The sixth bolt of crimson lightning burst forth in his Yellow Court Little World, exploding like a brilliant firework.
Tiny sparks scattered, raining down beneath the Yellow Court aperture.
These sparks, like a magnificent meteor shower, illuminated his Yellow Court Little World.
As each fiery meteor fell, it mingled with the spiritual energy he had painstakingly refined, prompting the enigmatic space to expand once more.
"The Great Dao is bound by many restrictions, each with its own set of rules. This is true for the vast universe as well as the microcosm of an acupoint," Yu Yuan realized in a flash of insight, his surprise turning to joy.
His Yellow Court aperture had undergone just five expansions and reconstructions, each refinement broadening the expanse of his Yellow Court Little World.
Five refinements of the Yellow Court aperture allowed his lower dantian's microcosm to hold only five clusters of Sun Essence Fire, manifesting as five scarlet red rainbows.
The number five represented not only the times his lower dantian had been refined but also the maximum amount of Sun Essence Fire it could accommodate.
What stage had he reached?
At the Yellow Court Stage of cultivation, he wasn't even supposed to be capable of gathering Sun Essence Fire from the heavens to refine within himself.
It was the wondrous "Glorious Heavenly Wheel" and the existence of this Alien Realm that enabled him to begin refining the Sun Essence Fire in an unforeseen manner, one not even anticipated by the Wheel's creator.
Yet, the laws of the universe maintained their decrees, seemingly permitting him to refine only five portions of Sun Essence Fire within his dantian.
When the sixth cluster of Sun Essence Fire was refined, it escaped into the Yellow Court Little World and erupted, transforming into a fiery essence that descended. This essence, blended with the spiritual energy, was then harnessed to further widen the small world.
"This works too!"
With this realization, Yu Yuan gained a deeper appreciation for the journey of cultivation and the foundational rules of the cosmos.
He also came to understand that to refine and absorb more Sun Essence Fire at his modest Yellow Court Stage, he might need to undergo multiple refinements of the Yellow Court Little World.
Could it be that after a sixth refinement, his body's microcosm would boast six rainbows?
After seven refinements, would there be seven rainbows?
If he managed to advance to the later stages of the Yellow Court Stage and step into the Profound Break Stage, could he shatter the constraints of both the cosmos and himself, freely condensing the Sun Essence Fire into the Yellow Court Little World?
Perhaps even assimilate it into the Qi and Blood Mystic Technique within the central dantian?
With these thoughts, Yu Yuan grew increasingly fervent and diligent. He utilized the "Glorious Heavenly Wheel" to its fullest potential, drawing in the Sun Essence Fire, refining it, and then integrating it into the dantian.
Following the explosive process, he swiftly proceeded to the sixth refinement of the Yellow Court acupoint!
