Seven Refinements of the Big Dipper

The other floating skulls successively lowered their tongues from the air, tying one live knot after another in an attempt to snare Chen Shi.

Under the cover of night, these live knots were exceedingly difficult to see. A moment of carelessness would send one's head straight into them, only for the floating skull to hoist the victim up and leave them dangling in midair.

Capitalizing on the lingering might of his Jia Ma Talisman, Chen Shi galloped along the post road, whistling away as he left those floating skulls far behind.

The Jia Ma Talisman generated a refreshing breeze beneath the soles of his feet, rendering his steps light, swift, and nimble. As he strode forward, his sleeves fluttered in the moonlight, truly capturing a posture of unrestrained elegance.

Yet at this moment, Chen Shi's complexion grew increasingly unsightly. His heartbeat accelerated by the second, as though something was pressing heavily against his chest.

Don't have an episode right now, don't have an episode!

Growing steadily anxious, he knew that walking through the dark night was already a gamble with his life. If an episode were to strike on top of this, his death would truly be an absolute certainty!

A series of sharp pains began to emanate from his heart.

Chen Shi knew that if he overexerted himself, an episode would trigger. For instance, when he committed the case at the Li Family Camp, he returned home and suffered an episode that very night.

Take another instance: when he encountered Iron Brush Old Man on the road and committed the act of beating Iron Brush Old Man and steward Zhao Ming to death. Presumably because he had killed fewer people, no episode struck that night, but the following night's episode had nearly cost him his life!

Now, he had committed the bloody case at Huangyang Village, bearing twenty-one human lives on his hands. This episode came faster and more fiercely than ever!

Past episodes usually struck in the midst of slumber, bringing a sudden, agonizing stab to the heart that left him gasping for air.

Yet now, the episode struck while he was fully conscious. He could feel his heart being gradually pinched tight by a rugged ghost hand—the tighter it squeezed, the faster it beat!

His vision blurred progressively. The post road under the moonlight seemed to float amid the clouds, swaying, twisting, and spinning from side to side, causing his body to sway, twist, and spin along with it.

The taste of blood filled his mouth, and his nostrils grew warm. Suddenly, two streams of bloody nosebleed gushed out.

Fresh blood seeped from his eyes as well, and his ears rang with a buzzing sound, as though warm liquid were flowing out from within them.

I mustn't die here, I don't want to die here! I want to go home and see Grandpa. Even if I die, I must die at home!

Chen Shi heaved ragged breaths, his eyes wide as he struggled to make out the road ahead, but the path grew increasingly hazy and ethereal.

Imperial Heaven newly born, only deities are revered. Evil chaos scatters wide, true gods left unseen, only ghosts derange men! Observe the Way of Heaven, execute the deeds of Heaven...

He channeled the Three Lights Righteous Qi, attempting to suppress the ghost hand that was gripping his heart. The Big Dipper Seven Stars materialized around him, their stellar formations shifting in tandem with his movement.

Chen Shi staggered forward. Bizarre entities within the surrounding mountain forests noticed his abnormalities and gave chase.

Leading the pack were the floating skulls. This variety of sui existed in great numbers and took a perverse delight in hanging people, dragging their victims' corpses through the air while dancing.

At times, one could spot a dozen or so floating skulls drifting aloft with long tongues dangling below, wrapped tightly around the corpses' necks. A dozen dead bodies tossed and turned in midair, posturing and flailing in a most grotesque display.

While the floating skulls flew overhead, dozens of toddlers crawled at breakneck speed across the ground, racing in pursuit of Chen Shi while babbling and crying out.

They were immensely joyful, scrambling at a rapid pace and even attempting to climb the trees alongside the road, only to find themselves trapped among the branches.

Whenever this happened, the long necks behind them would manifest, writhing like serpents to hoist them back down.

There were also tiny figures riding diminutive yellow horses, standing a mere five or six inches tall. The little yellow horses were scarcely any larger than their riders, and as they galloped furiously, they shouted back and forth, bending their bows and fitting arrows to let fly at Chen Shi.

Fortunately, the effect of the Jia Ma Talisman on Chen Shi's legs still held, leaving these tiny figures unable to catch up.

Even so, Chen Shi's condition was abysmal; being overtaken by them was simply a matter of time.

Chen Shi stumbled about the world spinning wildly. Even the Big Dipper Tempering failed to suppress the azure ghost hand.

Am I truly going to die here?

The road before his eyes warped, and abruptly, pairs of red shoes materialized on the path ahead, paving the post road completely so that there was nowhere to plant his feet. As long as he set his step down, he would tread upon those red shoes.

Peach blossoms were embroidered along the sides of these red shoes with pink thread, while peonies were stitched onto the toes, vividly bright.

Sui had also appeared.

The sui began to assail his spirit, throwing his already disordered five senses into even greater disarray.

Chen Shi's chest hurt with escalating intensity, swaying unsteadily as he looked on the verge of failing to avoid the red shoes ahead. Suddenly, the red shoes vanished entirely, and the road returned to normal.

The sound of hoofbeats echoed from the post road as four spirited steeds drew a carriage approaching along the path. A single lantern hung at the front of the carriage, and wherever its lamusthine fell, all evil sui scattered in haste.

"Whoa—"

The driver reined in the horses, and the carriage came to a halt directly before Chen Shi.

Seated upon the carriage was a noble young man. Though traveling through the rural night where danger lurked on every side, his demeanor remained composed and unhurried, as though nothing in the world could cause him to lose his poise.

He was none other than Prince Xiao, whom Chen Shi had met once before.

That day, outside the manor at the Yin-Nurturing Corpse Ground, Chen Shi and Grandpa had encountered Prince Xiao. Prince Xiao's coffin was magnificent, and his speech and manners were as refreshing as a spring breeze, leaving a deep impression on Chen Shi.

"Long time no see, Chen Shi."

Prince Xiao sat within the carriage, his complexion as warm and smooth as jade. Watching Chen Shi stagger toward him with stellar light swirling about his body, Prince Xiao's gaze flickered as he remarked, "The cultivation technique you practice is not complete; it is a flawed method. You have failed to grasp the essence of the Big Dipper Tempering, so it is no wonder you have fallen into such a dire predicament."

Hearing his voice, Chen Shi fought to steady his footing and offer a greeting, yet he could not stand straight no matter what.

He wanted to open his mouth to speak, but the pain robbed him of breath.

Prince Xiao's demeanor and poise were utterly natural, much like an immortal deity descended to the mortal realm, every gesture impeccably proper.

His facial features possessed not a single flaw, and his bearing was romantic and debonair; even another man could find no fault in him.

His voice was exceptionally rich, rumbling deep within his chest before emerging from his lips.

"You gather starlight, transforming it into the shape of the Big Dipper Seven Stars, causing the Big Dipper Seven Stars to revolve around your body. Yet you merely rely on the illumination of the seven stars to temper nothing more than your skin, hair, and blood; you fail to reach your five viscera, six bowels, and bone marrow. These seven stars not only temper the body, hair, and skin, but likewise temper essence, breath, and spirit. Because you have failed to comprehend what is meant by tempering, you suffer such torment."

Prince Xiao's voice reached into Chen Shi's mind. Excruciating though the pain was, Chen Shi's mind cleared to an unprecedented degree, and he rasped, "Please, Senior, grant me your guidance!"

Prince Xiao instructed, "This purple star before your feet is called Tian Shu, the location of the Ladle's head. Look closely; there are talismanic structures within the celestial body."

Chen Shi forced his concentration together, refusing to let the sharp pain interfere as he gazed toward that cluster of Tian Shu starlight. Upon careful observation, he indeed discerned the internal structure of the Tian Shu star.

The internal configuration of the starlight was quite peculiar. The upper portion resembled the character for 'big' (da), enveloping the stellar mass. Below it was a yang inscription shaped like the character for 'one' (yi), and further down lay the seal-script character for 'righteous' (zheng).

Beneath that came the character for 'govern' (zhi), alongside a star map and dragon patterns.

Capping the dragon patterns were two characters for 'towering' (wei).

"The other six stars likewise possess their own talismanic structures," Prince Xiao stated.

Chen Shi steadied his chaotic spirit and looked to the remaining six stars, discovering that complex talismanic structures indeed existed within these stellar masses as well!

This was something he had never noticed before!

"The Big Dipper Seven Stars are divided into Tian Shu, Tian Xuan, Tian Ji, Tian Quan, Yu Heng, Kai Yang, and Yao Guang. Every single cluster of starlight is formed from distinct talismanic seals."

Seated within the carriage, Prince Xiao spoke in a tranquil tone, "Different talismanic seals embody distinct methods of tempering as well. Tread upon Tian Shu and operate the talismanic seals."

Enduring the searing agony, Chen Shi's body trembled as he took a single stride, his foot landing upon the Tian Shu stellar mass.

Abruptly, the stellar mass blazed with brilliant light, the starlight bursting forth to surge into his body in an instant. Starting from his coccyx, it ascended along his spine, flowed upward via his tibia toward the back of his head, continued upward to permeate his cranium, and cascaded down along his facial bones to pass through his twenty-eight teeth.

From there, it traced the bone structure of his throat downward, crossing his twenty-four ribs.

In a fraction of a moment, the starlight completed a full cycle along his bone structure, leaving his hundred skeletal joints as though refined and his bone marrow feeling as if it had partaken of immortal nectar. He could not help shuddering involuntarily, and the acute pain that had been gripping his heart felt somewhat alleviated.

Simultaneously, the starlight energy of the Tian Shu star beneath his feet was exhausted. The star talisman began to shift, transforming into the Yao Guang star talisman.

The Tian Xuan star talisman on his right shifted at this moment as well, transitioning toward the Tian Shu star talisman.

The other star talismans rotated and transformed in tandem, resembling a grand array where moving a single hair caused the entire body to react; the shift of a single talisman prompted all the others to change accordingly.

"To the front right, step upon Tian Shu once more," Prince Xiao directed.

Seizing the momentum, Chen Shi took a stride, his foot landing upon the shifting Tian Xuan star talisman.

The exact instant his foot came down, the Tian Xuan star talisman happened to complete its transformation into the Tian Shu star talisman. Starlight erupted anew, flooding through his bones in a heartbeat. That sensation of body-refining comfort grew even more intense!

The impact of the stellar power caused the azure ghost hand gripping his heart to stretch outward by a fraction under the force of his heartbeat, reducing the pain a degree further!

Beholding a glimmer of hope for survival, Chen Shi did not wait for Prince Xiao's reminder; his figure already pivoted as he executed his third step. At that very moment, the Tian Ji star talisman had already transformed into Tian Xuan, and thence from Tian Xuan into Tian Shu.

By the time his foot descended, the third Tian Shu star talisman had already formed!

His figure neatly bypassed the carriage like a swimming dragon, leaving a blur of residual afterimages behind.

Chen Shi executed his fourth step at an even faster pace, swift as a phantom.

He took his fifth step, astonishingly walking right up the trunk of a large tree by the roadside as though treading upon flat ground, showing not the slightest tendency to fall!

Step by step, Chen Shi strode forward, moving faster and growing increasingly exhilarated as the pain in his heart diminished further.

Treading the Big Dipper had unintentionally taught him an extraordinary movement technique!

Meanwhile, the bone-refining property of Tian Shu caused his bones to grow progressively stronger, his marrow ever purer, and his vital qi and blood surged in an indescribable sense of comfort.

"Now, switch to Tian Xuan!" Prince Xiao's voice reached him.

Without a second thought, Chen Shi stepped onto the Tian Xuan star. The Tian Xuan talismanic seal instantly erupted, starlight swarming into his body to drill straight into his cardiac aperture.

Accompanied by a dull thump of his heartbeat, the next moment his heart propelled the blood imbued with stellar power outward to his limbs and head, reaching the very tips of his extremities via blood vessels both large and small, thick and thin!

The azure ghost hand was likewise jolted by the heartbeat into expanding further, struggling to maintain its grip upon his heart!

As Chen Shi pursued the Tian Xuan star, the Big Dipper Seven Stars formation beneath his feet continued to shift, the stellar power cleansing his blood and strengthening his heart chambers.

His vital qi and blood grew increasingly robust, and his breathing grew steadily deeper and more enduring.

Tian Shu refines the bones; Tian Xuan refines the blood!

Observing that he had completed one cycle of tempering, Prince Xiao offered timely prompt: "Switch to Tian Ji next!"

Chen Shi altered his pacing, his foot landing upon the Tian Ji star. The power of the star talisman exploded, harmonizing with his sinews and fascia.

His major sinews sprang taut like bowstrings, akin to drawing a bow to loose an arrow, endowing his fists with greater speed. His fascia riounded like a massive drum, granting him immense strength.

Once Chen Shi had circled a full cycle, tempering all his sinews, his foot descended upon the Tian Quan stellar mass.

Seeing this, Prince Xiao refrained from offering further verbal instruction.

Chen Shi ran each form of tempering for just a single cycle, swiftly traversing all seven stars of the Big Dipper.

The Tian Quan star talisman refined the muscles, while the Yu Heng star talisman refined the skin.

As for what the Kai Yang and Yao Guang star talismans refined, Chen Shi remained uncertain. He merely felt that when his feet trod upon the Kai Yang star talisman, his personal true qi circulated and the divine shrine surfaced once more, leading him to surmise that it refined true qi, though he could not say for certain.

Stepping upon the Yao Guang star talisman, conversely, inexplicably left him feeling refreshed in body and mind, his thought processes turning lucid to a degree he had never experienced before.

More crucially, the pain in his heart grew fainter by the moment!

"The Kai Yang star talisman refines true qi; the Yao Guang star talisman refines the spirit."

Continuing his guidance, Prince Xiao remarked, "The Seven Refinements of the Big Dipper temper your bones, heart, blood, flesh, skin, qi, and spirit altogether. The cultivation technique you practice is truly remarkable."

Pondering carefully and comparing it against every cultivation method he had witnessed in the past, he still concluded that Chen Shi's technique undoubtedly belonged among the very pinnacle tier.

Chen Shi came to a halt. His whole-body qi and blood churned ceaselessly for a long while before finally subsiding. As for the agonizing pain in his heart, it had vanished entirely, leaving him simultaneously astonished and delighted.

This instruction from Prince Xiao was of paramount importance to him. Not only had it saved his life at a critical juncture of peril, but it had also spared him endless groping in the dark and the immense dangers inherent in that exploratory process!

He still remembered his experience back at the desolate mountain temple, where fumbling while circulating his qi and blood had caused the blood to rush to his brain and knock him unconscious.

"Do not let your mind wander. Now, draw fire back to the origin, refining it into your dantian to transform it into your own cultivation base."

Observing his aura, Prince Xiao instructed, "To finish your cultivation without drawing fire back to the origin is equivalent to practicing to no avail. Regulate your spirit and mind guard the dantian."

Obeying the command, Chen Shi directed his surrounding qi and blood, refining them into his dantian. Yet the moment this surge of qi and blood transformed into true qi within his dantian, it simply dissipated without leaving the slightest trace, causing him to feel a pang of dejection.

Prince Xiao also perceived the dissipation of true qi within his body. After a brief moment of reflection, he noted, "The Seven Refinements of the Big Dipper tempered your bones, heart, blood, flesh, skin, qi, and spirit. It is merely that you cannot retain true qi, yet the other six aspects have progressed at a startling pace; in the future, you may well achieve great things. Strange... could it be that Master Chen never taught you these things?"

—Thanks to the Alliance Leader, 'God's Messenger on Earth', for the reward!

With the consent of Alpaca7, illustrations drawn by senior A7 for On the Great Dao have been inserted into the corresponding sections of certain main text chapters. Readers are encouraged to go back and take a look; they are all exquisite and closely fitted to the original text. Special thanks!