Power of Principle and Spoils

After obtaining the Fencang Furnace, Yang Tianyou and his wife finally had the power to protect themselves in this Heavenly Mountain Great Thousand Realm.

In the absence of Immortals and Gods, Bandit Cultivator represent the highest level of combat power.

The Nine-Dragon Heaven-Burning Furnace is a High-Grade Spirit Treasure with sixty-eight restrictions, placing it among the top-tier treasures of its level. However, during the battle with the Heavenly Demon, the furnace body shattered, and the lid was also broken, sustaining significant damage. It requires absorbing enough Spirit Gold to fully recover.

Yunhua's Myriad Qi Divine Flame can greatly accelerate this process and further enhance the Nine-Dragon Heaven-Burning Furnace's foundation, increasing his chances of surviving the fourth Treasure Tribulation Lightning.

After taking the Fencang Furnace, Yang Tianyou also took the Demon-Sealing Chains. Several Eighth Tier Fire Demons, all underlings of the Fencang Furnace, were placed inside the furnace's space and released when needed for battle.

The Core Area also contains numerous heavenly materials and earthly treasures, which are of great value, but Yang Tianyou did not touch them. After all, this place was discovered by Yang Chenzi. He was already satisfied with taking the Nine-Dragon Heaven-Burning Furnace, so he would leave the remaining treasures to Yang Chenzi. One should be more considerate.

Yunhua was instructed to return to Great White Grotto Heaven with the Nine-Dragon Heaven-Burning Furnace, while Yang Tianyou used a Spatial Exchange on the Void Worm to escape the Secret Realm.

Blackstone Prefecture is located in the northern part of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, near the Kuanglong River. It is rich in water vapor and dotted with lakes. However, due to the large number of Water Attribute Demon Beast and Fierce Beasts, frequent beast tides, and the lack of particularly valuable resources, the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty has not developed this area in depth. The Human Race is small, with only one Body Integration sect, Jinyun Temple.

Guided by the Fencang Furnace Artifact Spirit, Yang Tianyou flew all the way to a vast, misty lake.

Sensing the barren Spiritual Qi nearby, Yang Tianyou frowned slightly. This didn't seem like a place with Ninth-Tier Spirit Vein. Could it be that the Fencang Furnace Artifact Spirit was up to some trick? Yang Tianyou wondered to himself.

Seeing this, the Fencang Furnace Artifact Spirit sitting on his shoulder quickly explained, "This is the right place. The old master once said that the terrain of Blackstone Prefecture is intricate and complex, evolving into many feng shui wonders. The most hidden among them is a feng shui formation called the Dragon-Locking Well. It is this peculiar feng shui formation that quietly formed the prototype of Ninth-Tier Spirit Vein. It is also because the Ninth-Tier Spirit Vein has taken away too much of the essence of heaven and earth that Blackstone Prefecture has thin Spiritual Qi and a harsh environment."

"The old master once said that once the True Dragon emerges from the sea Dragon-Locking Well is broken, Blackstone Prefecture will be transformed into a fertile land, perfect for the development of our forces."

"Is that so?" Yang Tianyou nodded slightly. He didn't know much about feng shui, but Tongming did. His monkey was the best at Formations and feng shui, and had done in-depth research on these topics.

After inquiring with Tongming, the latter replied that there was indeed a feng shui formation called the Dragon-Locking Well. If a large Dragon-Locking Well feng shui formation truly existed in Blackstone Prefecture, it could indeed form a high-level Spirit Vein, since this place, relying on the rolling Kuanglong River, was a good place to nurture Spirit Veins.

"In that case, let's go down and take a look." Without further hesitation, Yang Tianyou moved and darted towards the large lake below.

Descending, they soon reached the bottom of the lake. Guided by the Fencang Furnace, Yang Tianyou arrived at the foot of a lake-bottom mountain. After searching for a while, he entered a cave that was two zhang high. He went deeper and deeper, making several turns, until the view suddenly opened up before him.

This was a stone cave, seemingly unremarkable, but inside was a group of Fierce Beasts, the strongest of whom was only at the Nascent Soul stage. After easily dealing with them, Yang Tianyou followed the Secret Method taught by the Fencang Furnace, forming hand seals and casting over a thousand Mudra in succession.

As the last Mudra was cast, the grotto trembled, and array Array Mark emerged, followed by the Daoist Sect. Yang Tianyou first sent a Talisman Soldier inside to scout ahead. After finding no danger, he cautiously entered, while Zhiming Fengling, Ruoqing guarded the outside, to notify him to evacuate immediately if anything went wrong.

As he passed through the Portal, soft light shone on Yang Tianyou's face, and a vast, thriving space appeared before him.

This is Formation Space, at least of the upper-middle grade of the Eighth Tier. The space is exceptionally vast. In the very center, a True Dragon, 100,000 feet long, with a white body and complete with whiskers, hair, scales, and armor, is sleeping. As if sensing Yang Tianyou's aura, the True Dragon opened its eyes and let out Heavenly Dragon. Then, it leaped up, wanting to soar into the sky.

Just then, a deep, dark well appeared, with mottled bloodstains on the edge of the well, and a mournful dragon's roar seemed to Dragon Roar faintly.

As Kuroi appeared, the True Dragon seemed to suddenly lose its strength, crashing heavily to the ground and howling incessantly.

"Even a fully formed Ninth-Tier Spirit Vein can't break free from the Dragon-Locking Well?" Yang Tianyou murmured. Tongming, who was observing the feng shui formation with his Netherworld-Seeing Divine Eye, explained, "The Dragon-Locking Well and this Ninth-Tier Spirit Vein are interdependent; in a sense, they are one. Therefore, no matter how powerful this Spirit Vein is, even if Bloodline Metamorphosis Immortal Vein, it still cannot break free from the Dragon-Locking Well's formation."

"I see. So, this Spirit Vein can be freed through external force?"

"External force is certainly possible, but to free the Spirit Vein, one must possess the power of the Tribulation Transcendence level; otherwise, it's suicide. However, with the help of the Fencang Furnace, the Mistress can free this Ninth-Tier Spirit Vein, but I do not recommend that the Master do so."

Yang Tianyou remained silent, gesturing for Tongming to continue.

"The Dragon-Locking Well is both a constraint and a protection. It is precisely because of this feng shui formation that this Spirit Vein can grow safely. Once the Dragon-Locking Well's feng shui formation fails, the powerful Spiritual Qi fluctuations generated by the Spirit Vein breaking free will be clearly detectable within a radius of tens of millions of miles."

"At that time, a large number of Bandit Cultivator will surely come to compete for it. Even with the help of the Nine-Dragon Heaven-Burning Furnace, it will be extremely difficult for us to occupy this Ninth-Tier Spirit Vein."

The Spiritual Qi contained in Ninth-Tier Spirit Vein is immense. Once it is freed from the restraint of the Dragon-Locking Well, High-Rank Cultivators from more than a dozen nearby prefectures can sense it.

"In that case, let's leave the Dragon-Locking Well as it is, and unlock it when we have enough strength."

After making his decision, Yang Tianyou turned to look at the Fencang Furnace Artifact Spirit perched on his shoulder and asked, "What about the treasure left behind by your old master?"

"It's deep within the Formation Space," the Fencang Furnace Artifact Spirit said, waving its small hand and sending out a wisp of Spiritual Qi that disappeared into a certain spot in the sky.

Soon, the Spatial Fluctuations, and array Array Mark wriggled and emerged, eventually forming a figure.

She was also a little baby, dressed in blue, with delicate, pretty features.

Upon seeing the Fencang Furnace, the little child seemed very happy and flew over joyfully. The Fencang Furnace Artifact Spirit also flew over, and the two little ones played around for a while. Yang Tianyou watched from the side without making a sound.

He naturally understood the origin of this little boy in blue. This was a formation spirit, which would be generated by Formations of the Seventh Tier and above. It was similar to Artifact Spirit, but its Wisdom was not as high as that of Spirit Treasure Artifact Spirit.

After their playful antics, the Fencang Furnace Artifact Spirit flew over, pulling along a somewhat timid blue-clad array spirit, and introduced, "This is Lanying, the array spirit of the Azure Floating Shadow Formation, a top-tier Eighth Tier spirit, best known for her Concealment and sealing abilities."

Yang Tianyou nodded slightly. He first had Lanying open the passage leading to the depths of the Formation, and then called over Tongming, who was observing the feng shui formation. He only had a slight understanding of Formations, so he let Tongming communicate with Lanying.

Following the passage, Yang Tianyou and the Fencang Furnace Artifact Spirit arrived in front of a black hall. The Fencang Furnace Artifact Spirit made a hand Mudra, and after a moment, the bronze gate slowly opened.

A dazzling light burst forth from the main hall, revealing a dazzling array of treasures.

The vast majority of these treasures were of the Seventh Tier or higher. Due to the special Formation in the main hall, these treasures were well preserved, and even the Pills were basically intact, with only a slight loss of medicinal power.

Yang Tianyou was most interested in three treasures. The first was the 'Integration-Preserving Pill', which consisted of three pills in a white jade bottle. This Pills was a mid -Eighth Tier pill and the best auxiliary Pills for breaking through to the Body Integration Realm.

There are three most difficult steps to breaking through the Body Integration.

First, comprehend the Power of Principle.

Second, integrate the Power of Principle.

Third, Heavenly Tribulation

Yang Tianyou has now reached the second step: fusing the Power of Principle. This is an extremely dangerous process, as it involves controlling Principle with a human body. If things go wrong, it could lead to death and the destruction of one's cultivation.

The Integration-Preserving Pill can significantly increase the success rate of fusion and ensure that the Fleshly Body will not collapse if fusion fails.

Of course, Yang Tianyou doesn't need to use the Integration-Preserving Pill because of the Star-Chart Disk and Great White Grotto Heaven, and Yunhua's near-immortal physique also doesn't need it. But this thing can be kept as a Lineage asset, or at worst sold for money. The Integration-Preserving Pill is worth the same as an ordinary mid-grade Spirit Treasure.

The remaining two treasures that interested me were a mid-grade Spirit Treasure and a pair of boots called the Five-Colored Luan Phoenix Boots. They were brightly colored, like a Phoenix spreading its wings, and their surface was adorned with many gemstones. What was most valuable was that this Spirit Treasure had a total of thirty-five heaven and earth restrictions, so its value was self-evident.

The last treasure was a large blue crystal, crystal clear and shimmering with a soft glow.

Ninth Tier Spirit Material, Abyssal Crystal, Water Attribute Spirit Material. Judging by the size, there are at least four or five pieces of this, making it exceptionally valuable.

After taking stock of all the spoils, Yang Tianyou walked out of the main hall with a big smile on his face. Then, with a wave of his sleeve, he moved the entire main hall to Great White Grotto Heaven.

After spending a day arranging the relevant matters, Yang Tianyou left Blackstone Prefecture.

Upon returning to the Three Origin Hall, Yang Tianyou began his secluded cultivation.

The previous battle with Yanyun Fairy and others yielded great results, and his Blade Domain showed signs of breakthrough, with a fierce Blade Intent ready to burst forth.

A century has passed in the blink of an eye.

For the past century, Yang Tianyou has spent his time either in seclusion studying the Dao of the Blade Dao or making Talisman to complete sect missions.

Life was peaceful and fulfilling.

On this day, the sun was just beginning to shine. Zhiming lay lazily on the ground, his bottom slightly raised, enjoying the pleasant moment.

Suddenly, a faint Blade Cry rang in his ears. Zhiming immediately raised his head and swung his claws. A pre-arranged Formation was activated, and the misty fog was hazy and mysterious, completely concealing all movement on the Spirit Mountain.

Inside the cave abode, Spiritual Qi surged like a tide, and upon approaching Yang Tianyou, it condensed into countless translucent daggers under the influence of the powerful Blade Intent emanating from him. These daggers hummed and vibrated, as if responding to something.

Time passed slowly, and Yang Tianyou frowned slightly, his eyes closed, as he comprehended the essence of the Blade Dao.

At a certain moment, as if by sudden enlightenment, his mind became clear, all the noise disappeared, and his consciousness gently leaped to a vast starry Starry Sky.

Amidst the twinkling stars and fleeting moments, Yang Tianyou, guided by an inexplicable force, arrived before a blade-shaped star. With a deafening boom, the star trembled, and a terrifying suction force appeared, swallowing Yang Tianyou into its interior. Countless Blade Dao surged forth, not arising from nothing, but rather from Yang Tianyou's own perceptions. Now, these insights were being integrated by this Blade Dao star, evolving towards the Power of Principle under the influence of this mysterious force.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but when Yang Tianyou opened his eyes again, strands of transparent silk appeared before him, tightly encircling him.

These threads are the embodiment of the power of the Blade Dao Principle; even without the addition of Spiritual Qi, they can easily kill cultivators at the Void Refinement.

If combined with Blade Dao Divine Ability, the destructive power would be earth-shattering.

"Now, even without using the power of my Grotto Heaven, the Primordial Power, and the Star-Chart Disk, I can fight Body Integration Cultivator for hundreds of rounds." Yang Tianyou smiled confidently, then summoned Zhiming to inquire if any major events had occurred recently.

Zhiming first congratulated Yang Tianyou on successfully comprehending the Power of Principle, and then began to report on trivial matters, such as which family had another High-Rank Cultivator break through, which family's genius was assassinated, and which type of Spirit Items had seen a significant price increase. Yang Tianyou listened with great interest.

Finally, Zhiming brought up a very important matter.

"Master, the Great Zhao Imperial Dynasty is reorganizing its troops, mobilizing warships and High-Rank Cultivators, and stationing them in the northwest, indicating its intention to move south."

"Furthermore, they have also amassed a large number of troops in the border regions of the Great Chen Imperial Dynasty, it seems they are serious about this."

'Oh?'

Yang Tianyou immediately perked up, narrowed his eyes, and began to think quietly.

The Seventh Heavens are the domain of Three Great Imperial Dynasties: the Great Zhao Imperial Dynasty, the Great Chen Imperial Dynasty, and the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, to which I belong.

Among the Three Great Imperial Dynasties, the Great Zhao was the most powerful, with a total of twenty-one provinces and two hundred and thirty prefectures. It occupied the most resource-rich region in the Seventh Heaven, and its military strength was greater than that of the other two combined.

If it weren't for the natural defenses and geographical advantages that allowed them to withstand repeated attacks from the Great Zhao army, coupled with the powerful ministers in power, the decline of imperial authority, and the extremely fierce internal struggles within Great Zhao, the other two dynasties would probably have perished long ago.

More than a hundred years ago, the new emperor of the Great Zhao ascended the throne. He was exceptionally capable and quickly eliminated powerful ministers, seized power, and forcefully implemented new policies. In a short period of time, the national strength of the Great Zhao Dynasty increased significantly. Afterward, this emperor began to prepare for war, and the shadow of war loomed over the Three Great Imperial Dynasties.

"What will the Court of the Great Zhou decide to do?"

Yang Tianyou looked at Zhiming and asked.

"The Court has issued Conscription Order to all sects and Lineage within its borders. Those with manpower and those with money are welcome to contribute to form a large army to defend the border against the attack of the Great Zhao. It is said that this time the Grand Marshal will personally lead the troops."

"Grand Marshal?" Yang Tianyou looked suspicious. Over the years, he had come to know quite a bit about the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty.

Grand Marshal Ji Chengwu, born into the imperial family of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, wielded immense power and influence. He was the one who single-handedly supported the current emperor to the throne.

But this man has never been known to have any military talent. His Grand Marshal is more symbolic, indicating that he controls the military. It seems unreliable to let such a novice lead a large army to resist the attack of the Great Zhao.