Heaven-Defying Secret Art, Golden Liquid Condensing Pill

Here, like countless places in the world, only endless darkness and death existed.

Overlooking the half-mountain valley covered by dense fallen-leaf rainforest, thick, sticky peach-red mist gathered year after year—this was Luofu's unique poisonous miasma, lethal enough that any person or beast inhaling even a trace would fester and die. But now, within this valley shrouded in thick miasma, stood a man in red robes, his figure tall and lean. Beside him crouched a strange creature, with a deer's body and a sparrow-like head, a single horn on its brow, and black-and-yellow patterns on its back.

His entire face and hair were hidden behind a silver mask densely engraved with intricate, cumbersome incantations. Only a pair of exceptionally deep, wildly arrogant eyes were exposed.

Blazing! Unrestrained!

This aura was such that even a single touch of his gaze seemed enough to burn everything to ashes.

Outside the valley, which was normally filled with thick miasma, some snakes, insects, rats, and ants had gathered, but aside from the strange beast crouching at his side, all other creatures grew restless and uneasy from the arrogance he radiated, scrambling to flee.

It was hard to imagine that a person's arrogance could reach such a terrifying level!

This formed an unforgettable contrast with the cold, intricate mask, whose incantations shimmered like frost.

But an even sharper contrast emerged when, suddenly, the thick yellow-green miasma above his head parted silently, and a graceful figure descended on the wind, embracing the moonlight as she landed lightly.

As if unwilling to let the world see her face, she wore not only flowing, cloud-like pale purple palace robes but also a thin veil over her features. Yet the unique aura she exuded alone made one feel that behind that veil must lie a form and face capable of captivating all.

Pure and cold, radiating a sacred aura, she seemed like a Moon Palace Fairy who did not belong to this world.

One hot, one cold—two completely different mysterious figures stood quietly in the valley.

The Silver-masked Man withdrew his gaze from the distant mountains, reached out to stroke the head of the strange beast beside him, and suddenly smiled. "His 'Empty Life Extinguishing Sea Glazed Art' truly has the power to slay gods and immortals."

"Thirty years ago, Yuan Tianyi had already reached Unity of Heaven and Man, Pure and Immaculate. His cultivation is naturally transcendent and supreme," the Mysterious Woman, radiating a sacred aura like a Moon Palace Fairy, said with a hint of admiration in her tone. "I just don't understand why he wants us to oppose Yuan Tianyi."

"Even if he hadn't asked us to come, I would have come anyway," the Silver-masked Man said, narrowing his eyes.

The woman, so different from him, showed surprise in her gaze. "Why?"

"Because I want to know which of us is stronger!"

"You're too arrogant!" the Mysterious Woman said coldly. "Don't forget Shuli's Primordial Spirit completely destroyed thirty years ago."

"I know that," the arrogant Silver-masked Man laughed loudly. "Don't forget, his Empty Life Extinguishing Sea Glazed Art has weaknesses too. What's more, he has an even more fatal weakness." Amid his wild laughter, the strange beast beside him let out a low growl, baring its claws and fangs.

"What weakness?"

"He's even more arrogant than I am. Someone in Luofu was cultivating the Twelve Heavens God Fiend Method, nearly forming a Demonic Fiend Nascent Soul, and he killed him without even asking. So, Luofu will be erased from this world!"

***

The High Priest, wrapped entirely in animal skins and prostrating himself on the ground, discovered that their "god" was walking toward him and his people.

Did gods truly exist in this world?

For the native Miao Yi of Luofu, Yuan Tianyi, who protected and sheltered them, was their god.

But what surprised the devout Miao Yi Elder was that in the past, when disaster struck, Yuan Tianyi would appear, eliminate the calamity, and then quietly depart. Now, however, Yuan Tianyi walked right up to him. "Gazha Abu, there's something I need your help with."

In the dark, pungent stilted house, the revered Miao Yi Elder pulled a folded square of yellowed leather from a wooden chest that seemed older than himself. He carefully wiped off the dust and cautiously unfolded it.

Legend held that in some ancient Miao Yi tribes, there existed a sorcery using witch medicine to achieve Rebirth and Metamorphosis and alter meridians. This sorcery was said to have been passed down by the Miao Li ancestor Chi You. Warriors transformed by it were incredibly fierce, with bodies tougher than vajra. The ancient legend of Chi You might not be true, but just like the Miao Li secret medicine Flower Changing Grass, which could reverse natural forces and change a fetus's gender even three months into pregnancy, this sorcery did indeed exist.

The Miao Yi Elder didn't ask how Yuan Tianyi knew that their tribe's priests had passed down such sorcery through generations. In his eyes, Yuan Tianyi was an omniscient, god-like being. This was fervent worship of a deity, but it was also this simple, primitive faith and reverence that had allowed this tribe of barely a hundred people to survive for a thousand years in such harsh conditions. This respected, withered old man, who looked like he might collapse at any moment but clung stubbornly to life, also didn't ask why Yuan Tianyi needed this sorcery. He only said in the tribe's native dialect, "The other herbs should be ready within ten days, but the Sea King Blood Jade and Shangyang Horn..."

"I'll bring the Sea King Blood Jade and Shangyang Horn in ten days. You just prepare the rest," Yuan Tianyi nodded.

"But..." The Miao Yi Elder nodded, then hesitated.

"But what?"

"But aside from the Shangyang Horn being elusive and hard to find, this Rebirth and Metamorphosis, altering meridians... the immense pain is beyond what ordinary people can endure. Our tribe hasn't used this heaven-defying secret art in a thousand years."

"Every step of cultivation is a heaven-defying act, using meager human strength to transcend birth, aging, sickness, and death. What is physical pain compared to that?" A fleeting warmth and pride flickered in Yuan Tianyi's eyes. "Besides, how could a disciple of Luofu be an ordinary person?"

The Miao Yi Elder first felt relieved, then delighted. What kind of person could earn even his hint of praise and pride as a successor?

"Gazha Abu," Yuan Tianyi said as he reached the door, suddenly turning back to look at the withered old man. He said quietly, "After this is done, take the whole tribe and leave Luofu for a while."

"Leave Luofu for a while?" The old man, still prostrate, was startled.

Yuan Tianyi nodded. "It won't be long. You can return in two months."

Shocked by Yuan Tianyi's words, the old man couldn't help but look up, but the first thing that caught his eye were the tortoise shells he had thrown on the ground, not yet put away.

The old man's heart shook violently!

The blood-red omen on the divination signs had still not dissipated.

Could this blood-red ill omen be related to Yuan Tianyi?

By the time the old man snapped out of his shock, the spotless white figure had already vanished from his doorway.

Looking out through the wooden door swaying in the cold night wind, there was only a bright, clear moon.

***

"Whoosh—" A sudden downpour began.

Luofu itself was located in a hot, humid region with endless mountains, and this rain, falling from a clear sky, came without any warning.

Luo Bei sat cross-legged on a rock beneath a tree, his hands crossed over his lower abdomen. As the sky darkened and before the raindrops fell, his hands suddenly moved—one finger pointing to the ground, the other palm facing the sky. His fingers shifted through several subtle mudras, and then he let out a long breath.

With that breath, Luo Bei opened his eyes and stood up from the rock, which resembled a green ox.

Unlike other techniques, the "Mahākāla Secret Method" absorbed the spiritual energy of True Sun Fire. Now that the sky had turned from clear to rainy, Luo Bei had no choice but to stop his cultivation.

After standing steadily, Luo Bei now gave off a healthy, powerful impression. As for Luo Bei himself, he felt completely at ease, especially with a faint warm current flowing between the back of his head and his hands, like a stream running without end. Taking a deep breath, Luo Bei focused his mind and punched forward into the air. With a pop, the air in front of him let out a soft explosive sound, and the transparent air rippled like fish scales, while a faint layer of golden light appeared on his fist.

Luo Bei jumped down from the stone, then concentrated and punched the rock again. Thud, fine gravel crumbled and fell, leaving a deep pit in the hard mountain stone. Yet Luo Bei only felt a slight tremor in his arm; aside from a few white marks on his knuckles, his skin wasn't even scratched.

"I never thought I'd have this kind of strength now." By then, the rain was pouring down in torrents, but Luo Bei was overjoyed. He didn't bother to take shelter and practically hopped and skipped all the way to the foot of that towering, nameless peak.

The iron chain that had once been as hard to cross as climbing to heaven now posed little difficulty for Luo Bei. Without taking any rest, he quickly climbed to the halfway point and reached the cave where he had encountered the Two-headed Mountain Salamander.

"I've already mastered the hand seals from the first and second volumes, but I don't know exactly what level I've reached after today." As Luo Bei thought this, he unconsciously curled his tongue against the roof of his mouth, calmed his mind, and engaged in internal observation. At this moment, he felt even more amazed by the wonder of this cultivation technique. Under internal observation, it was as if he were looking through someone else's eyes at his own Sea of Consciousness and meridians. Luo Bei saw a small golden sphere quietly suspended in his Sea of Consciousness. That golden sphere was no longer the reddish-gold of the first day; it now seemed like thick, viscous golden liquid. The strands of golden radiance emanating from the liquid-gold sphere flowed along his meridians, all the way through to his hands.

"It's already the Golden Liquid Condensing Pill!"

Luo Bei was so delighted he almost cried out loud.