Duobao covered his forehead upon hearing that. Faced with this senior brother who had joined before him, he was powerless to criticize him. The man truly had no sense at all.
He actually dared to speak disrespectfully of Daoism's sacred beast. One had to know that the sacred beast was Little Master's peak artifact-refining creation, and it had ultimately succeeded in taking form.
Among the many famous Innate Spiritual Treasures and Chaos treasures in the Primordial World, had any one of them ever transformed into a living being? He had never heard of such a thing.
Moreover, it could withstand Little Master's violent hammering at any time.
Little Master's body-refining strength... even something like Chaos iron could be kneaded as casually as dough.
Black Dog was first stunned, then rose to his feet. With one hand in his pocket, he beckoned Zhao Gongming over with the other.
In an instant,
Without turning around, Black Dog casually blocked an attack from behind. A satisfied smile appeared on his face, and anticipation filled his eyes.
Sure enough, Little Master had taught him well. He understood frontal misdirection. He had actually already made his move and infiltrated behind him.
"Interesting. Huh? Fake... an outer body formed from beads?
"Oh? Twenty-four of them..."
Seeing this from afar, Duobao withdrew his earlier criticism. This senior brother who had entered the sect before him was indeed extraordinary.
This fighting style was worth learning from. It was extremely steady; his true body had not revealed itself at all.
He had cultivated an advanced version of the divine ability One Qi Transforming into Three Purities, creating twenty-four clones with Innate Spiritual Treasures as their foundation.
Furthermore, he could layer the twenty-four figures into an array and construct twenty-four miniature heavenly worlds, directly using the laws of those small worlds against Black Dog, the sacred beast.
The key was that if Duobao joined the battle between these two, he would inevitably suffer severe injuries. Yet they had not damaged this space in the slightest.
This showed just how monstrous Little Master's law structure for this secret realm space was. They had fought for so long without producing even the faintest ripple.
Just then, Li Er's voice interrupted Duobao's wandering thoughts.
"Fatty Li, come here. I've got a new idea about this Red Lotus Karmic Fire. I can fuse the Samadhi True Fire into it and give it to you.
"Then you'll have another aid when refining artifacts."
Duobao's fat quivered as he cautiously asked, "Little Master, there won't be any danger to my life, right?
"Can it be combined with that grayish-blue flame you use for artifact refinement?"
Li Er fell silent for a while, then shook his head. "Your body refinement is too poor. The divine inscriptions throughout your body have not formed a complete cycle, so you can't withstand this kind of flame.
"Make do with the Samadhi True Fire and Red Lotus Karmic Fire for now.
"Of course, I can give you a strand of this flame's origin, but it might hurt a little."
Duobao's eyes lit up. Forgetting the battle between the two men in the distance, he hurried over to Li Er.
"Little Master, I'm not afraid of pain—I... Aaaahhh—"
Before Duobao could finish speaking, he began to howl miserably.
He had no idea when Li Er had planted the origins of the Red Lotus Karmic Fire and Samadhi True Fire within him. They were now burning wildly throughout his body.
At that moment, he also understood why Zhao Gongming had attacked Black Dog without hesitation. It hurt too much. Only by venting through combat could he suppress the surging cultivation within him.
That was right. The flames began burning within his body, advancing his realm and cultivation. They continuously burned away the accumulated medicinal pills he had consumed recently and sorted out the speed at which the mana flowed through his body.
The key was that Black Dog, the sacred beast, had told him something: Little Master did not want their cultivation to rise too quickly. He demanded that they solidify their foundations so they could travel farther on their path.
If their cultivation rose too quickly, they would be thrown out to gain experience. And the man who had just returned was precisely someone who had been sent out for that purpose.
How could cultivating outside compare to cultivating here in Daoism? Being sent out to gain experience was therefore the greatest punishment for them.
"Ah, Senior Brother Black! Sorry about this—"
Duobao roared and charged directly into the battlefield. Only this way could he absorb the flames faster.
Seeing everyone immersed in cultivation, Li Er stroked his chin. One strand of flame could not help him advance, so why not study lightning techniques instead?
If he underwent his lightning tribulation early, could his Golden Core cultivation break through?
The Interception Sect's jade slips recorded the Supreme Clarity Divine Lightning, Jade Purity Divine Lightning, and Divine Firmament Divine Lightning. Since he had time now, he could study them and see whether he could comprehend the more advanced Purple Firmament Divine Lightning.
"Seems pretty good. If I push every Dao technique to its ultimate limit and condense laws belonging to myself,
"I can construct a world and create heaven and earth within my own body. Why the hell would I still cultivate a Golden Core then? Wouldn't that count as opening a new path of cultivation?
"Since this road is so difficult, why not just walk a new road instead?
"Wouldn't that let me break free from the constraints of lifespan?" Li Er muttered, light gleaming in his eyes—the light of hope.
With that thought, he did not linger at all. He turned and returned to his cave abode to continue his research.
What he did not see was Sect Master Tongtian in the distance, wisdom glimmering in his eyes. Sect Master Tongtian had heard every word Li Er had just said.
"Constructing a world? Creating heaven and earth within the body? Taking the path of internal sainthood? Is this what Li Er meant by one's nature being self-sufficient?
"Could it be that Father God's path was wrong? Is seeking within better than seeking without?" Sect Master Tongtian muttered, a trace of confusion flashing through his eyes.
Could this be transcendence?
"It's fine. I can observe Li Er's cultivation... after all, he is my sliver of life—"
Outside the secret realm.
Yuanshi Tianzun and the Grand Pure Saint wrapped themselves in the Taiji Diagram. Outside it, they continuously layered concealment arrays using the stacking method they had learned, doing their utmost to hide themselves.
They had no choice. They were facing an exceedingly cautious opponent, so they had to become cautious as well.
Moreover, the two of them discovered that this cautious behavior inexplicably felt wonderful. They seemed to be getting addicted to it.
They had observed this place for a long time and had indeed discovered an entrance here.
Moreover, the entrance was extremely difficult to detect. If they had not used their saintly status to mobilize the power of the Heavenly Dao and observe carefully, they would never have noticed it.
Because Black Dog had vanished here.
Yet they chose to observe quietly rather than rush into the secret realm, fearing that it would instantly tear through space and flee.
That was the conclusion they reached after sharing their thoughts.
This secret realm could run away!
"Big Brother, are we just going to wait here?" Yuanshi Tianzun asked impatiently, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
To be honest, he desperately wanted to meet the person behind his third brother Tongtian. Even the structure of this secret realm entrance had benefited him immensely.
It was difficult not to be curious.
"We wait. Given Third Brother's personality, he won't stay inside for long. That will be our chance," the Grand Pure Saint said calmly, sitting cross-legged.
He looked entirely prepared for a prolonged battle, and he began comprehending the array-stacking method and advanced version of One Qi Transforming into Three Purities that he had obtained.
"Sigh, fine. I refuse to believe he won't come out."
Golden Turtle Island—Biyou Palace.
Lingbao Tianzun stared in disbelief at Nüwa and Dijun and Taiyi behind her. How had his true body provoked them?
"Junior Sister Nüwa, may I ask why you have come?" Lingbao Tianzun said calmly, curiosity flashing through his eyes.
He had only just hidden himself properly when Nüwa came directly to visit.
"Fellow Daoist Lingbao, is Senior Brother Tongtian here?" Nüwa asked gently, helplessness flashing through her eyes.
She had not wanted to come at all. She had been perfectly content staying in Nüwa Palace beyond the chaos and had no desire to enter the Primordial World, especially after the Heavenly Dao had tricked her once.
But the two members of the Demon Race had requested an audience with her and asked her to introduce them to Sect Master Tongtian. They said there had been a misunderstanding at the Western Sect last time and that they wished to personally visit and apologize.
They made it sound extremely serious, claiming it concerned the survival of the Demon Race.
As the Demon Race's saint in name, Nüwa truly could not refuse such a matter.
"Fellow Daoist Tongtian is in seclusion for now. If you have something to say, Fellow Daoist Nüwa, you may say it directly," Lingbao Tianzun said coldly, displeasure flashing through his eyes.
Well, well!
I call you Junior Sister Nüwa, yet you call me Fellow Daoist Lingbao? But you call Tongtian Senior Brother!
You're looking down on me!
"Fellow Daoist Lingbao, this concerns settling a matter of karma. Please inform Senior Brother Tongtian," Nüwa said gently, confusion flashing through her eyes.
Why had Lingbao Tianzun suddenly become unhappy?
Lingbao Tianzun frowned and suppressed his displeasure as he asked, "Fellow Daoist Nüwa, have you seen my eldest brother Grand Pure or my second brother Yuanshi?
"Please tell me truthfully. Otherwise, you will not get to see your Senior Brother Tongtian!"
Nüwa looked utterly bewildered and said, "I have not seen them.
"I came here because Dijun and Taiyi were previously at the Western Sect—"
Nüwa slowly explained her purpose. She felt that if she did not explain the reason, she likely would not get to meet Sect Master Tongtian.
Judging by Lingbao Tianzun's attitude, it was as though the Three Purities did not have a good relationship. At that thought, gossip flashed in Nüwa's eyes.
"That's for the best. If Fellow Daoist Nüwa is lying and Sect Master Tongtian is found by my two elder brothers—
"Forget it. Wait here. I'll notify him." Lingbao Tianzun did not continue. Instead, he raised his hand and summoned a Merit Golden Body.
This!!!
Nüwa was stunned.
Dijun and Taiyi were stunned as well.
They watched Lingbao Tianzun crush the Merit Golden Body directly, transforming it into a divine inscription talisman that vanished without a trace.
That was a Merit Golden Body!!! You just crushed it? To form a communication talisman?
This!!!
Heavens!!
Had Lingbao Tianzun gone mad!!!l
He crushed two more Merit Golden Bodies?? Just to condense communication talismans?
Nüwa fell silent.
Taiyi fell silent.
Dijun thought, Give them to me!! Those are Merit Golden Bodies, not trash!
Nüwa finally understood why Lingbao Tianzun had been so unpleasant. Finding Senior Brother Tongtian required such a price—he had to consume three of his Merit Golden Bodies to contact him.
But where had Lingbao Tianzun gotten so many Merit Golden Bodies?
Even stranger, before those Merit Golden Bodies shattered, they had actually revealed relieved smiles, as though death were a good thing.
Just then,
An extremely dissatisfied voice rang out in the hall.
"Lingbao! Have you gone mad? With so little left, are you trying to squander it all?"
A Merit Golden Body walked in from outside. It bore Sect Master Tongtian's appearance, his face filled with pain, dangerous light flashing in his eyes.
"There, there—Tongtian, your Junior Sister Nüwa is looking for you. Come back for a moment—"
Before you continue