Earth Refining Art, Heaven Mending Art, Yu Ying's Shock

Venerable Lanchuan had told Zhao Xing to rest for three years, but Zhao Xing arrived at Venerable Lanchuan's eagle-headed mountain cave residence after only three months.

"Didn't I tell you to rest for three years and consolidate your dharma body?" Venerable Lanchuan asked.

"I have already completed it," Zhao Xing said.

"Since that is the case, choose a post." Venerable Lanchuan tossed Zhao Xing a Dao tome that recorded all manner of positions.

Yushen Province had been founded only a few decades ago and was still constantly expanding. It had no shortage of people under its command, yet it was severely lacking in top-tier talent.

Zhao Xing looked through it and found that although there seemed to be many positions, there were only two places where it was easy to make money.

The first was the Nine Yin River.

There was still some distance between Yushen Province's border and the Nine Yin River. God Yu wanted to divert the Nine Yin River Water into the province,

but the Nine Yin River was highly unusual. Its water was extremely heavy and contained intense poison, making it exceedingly difficult to divert into Yushen Province.

Most sections of the river were difficult to divert. In the sections where diversion was easier, they had to compete with Moon God State.

Yet if Yushen Province wanted to expand, it could not do without the Nine Yin River. Soul Wells needed yin-aspected water sources for nourishment, and the higher the quality, the better. Furthermore, the river also produced high-end resources such as Bone Spirit Stones.

The second was the Ten Thousand Soul Well. The Ten Thousand Soul Well lay outside Yushen Province, within a Mist Dao Barrier larger than both Yushen Province and Moon God State combined.

In other places, Soul Wells were scattered sparsely and of low quality. Yet in the Ten Thousand Soul Well region, Soul Wells were densely packed, though it was equally dangerous.

It produced Soul Crystals in abundance, but Sky Patrol Divine Guards needed an Earth God Official to lead them there.

"Lanchuan God Official, I would like to open up a river channel at the Nine Yin River, or go to the Ten Thousand Soul Well," Zhao Xing voiced his thoughts.

Venerable Lanchuan was not surprised. He could see that Zhao Xing had already reached the bottleneck of "art." At his current realm, it would be difficult for Zhao Xing's mastery of spells to improve further.

Breaking through in both true spirit and dharma body to become a Demigod was his greatest need at present.

"I have no plans to go to the Ten Thousand Soul Well for now. Besides, you have yet to render any merit, so it would not be appropriate to take you there.

Go reclaim the Nine Yin River near Moon-Gazing City first," Lanchuan God Official said.

"This is the Earth Refining Art."

"As long as you complete a water diversion assignment, you may return to find me."

"Yu Ying has also been assigned there. You can set out with her."

"Yes."

"Fellow Daoist Chen An, I didn't expect you to have disciples of the Divine Fire Sect serving you." Yu Ying and Zhao Xing teleported to Moon-Gazing City together. She discovered that the servants Zhao Xing had brought were far from ordinary. They all possessed Li Fire Dao Bones and bore the Divine Fire Sect's unique insignia.

"Fellow Daoist Yu Ying is no ordinary person either. You actually have Dragon Clan members serving you." Zhao Xing looked at Yu Ying in surprise. She sat atop a war chariot drawn by four Bone Dragons, none of them low-level.

"These four Dragon Clan members were all Eight Tribulation Emperor Lords in the world of the living. They came with me to the Bone Netherworld willingly." Yu Ying sounded somewhat proud.

Dragon Clan members were already rare in the present age. She had spent many years in the world of the living cultivating them.

"Which sect did Fellow Daoist Yu Ying belong to in the world of the living?" Zhao Xing probed, eager to learn about the world of the living in the Profound Yellow World.

"The Earth Sea Divine Sect." Yu Ying showed a trace of pride, but when she saw that Zhao Xing did not react much, she became curious about Zhao Xing's own sect.

"What about you, Fellow Daoist Chen An?"

"I am an independent cultivator," Zhao Xing said casually.

After spending many years in the White Bone Divine Domain, he could confirm one thing: he had entered another time and space.

Perhaps this was the Profound Yellow World of the past, from before the Chen Luo Barren Domain had become desolate. It might even have been during the era of one of the Five Emperors.

Yet Zhao Xing was also puzzled, because he had never heard of the Five Emperors in the world of the living in the Profound Yellow World.

If his speculation was correct, could it be that the Profound Yellow World had absolutely no contact with the outside world?

Whose territory had the Chen Luo Barren Domain been in history? Bone God Yuan's?

"With so many experts, the Profound Yellow World could not possibly have been nameless in history. Could its history have been erased?" Zhao Xing guessed inwardly.

After arriving at Moon-Gazing City, Zhao Xing and Yu Ying immediately went to pay respects to another Earth God Official, Jinyue.

Looking down from the sky, Moon-Gazing City was exceedingly crude. However, huge numbers of skeletons moved materials about like ants, transporting all sorts of supplies.

The areas within and outside Moon-Gazing City were all barren. Only the eastern side of the city held a patch of vitality, filled with Spiritual Qi Plants. Everywhere else was heavy with yin energy.

Jinyue was a thirteenth-stage Demigod and a direct subordinate of Great God Official Dong Jun.

He did not handle specific affairs. He normally remained here to cultivate in seclusion and would only appear when powerful enemies attacked Moon-Gazing City.

After meeting Zhao Xing and Yu Ying, he said only a few simple things.

"Within Moon-Gazing City, apart from those who are also Sky Patrol Divine Guards, you may freely mobilize every White Bone lifeform as laborers. It does not matter if they die."

"I do not care how you divert the river, but seventy percent of all gains must be handed over."

"Of course, if you can successfully create a treasure pool, you may receive a little more. But no one has managed that in all these years."

"Do not disturb me unless necessary."

After saying this, Venerable Jinyue dismissed Zhao Xing and Yu Ying.

"All White Bone creatures can be used as laborers, and it does not matter if they die?" Zhao Xing flew through the air, looking at the rows of dull-looking skeletons standing in the city.

Although their True Spirit Fire Seeds were pure, they appeared sluggish.

"Of course. They are not truly dead," Yu Ying said, accustomed to this. "There are roughly a hundred thousand Skeleton Soldiers in the city and one hundred Soul Wells."

"Once they die, they will crawl out of the Soul Wells again. We can use them however we wish."

"You can use Sky Patrol Divine Talismans to make these Skeleton Soldiers obey."

Seeing Zhao Xing deep in thought, Yu Ying had no intention of continuing the conversation.

"Emperor Lord Chen An, I'll be leaving first."

Yu Ying waved a hand, scattering masses of light. Then she swept away roughly fifty thousand Skeleton Soldiers and flew east.

Zhao Xing shook his head and waved away the remaining fifty thousand Skeleton Soldiers.

He could transmit thoughts through the Divine Talisman to the fifty thousand Skeleton Soldiers, making them do whatever he wanted.

Having died too many times, they had forgotten nearly all their memories, and their intelligence had greatly diminished. They were White Bone lifeforms with nothing but brute strength.

Zhao Xing found it very easy to command them, but they could not perform any overly delicate tasks. They truly could only provide manual labor.

Zhao Xing thought of Wei Tianchen. If there was no true death in Yuan's divine domain, could Wei Tianchen have also been revived from some Soul Well?

"They possess strength roughly equivalent to Three Tribulation Emperor Lords, yet they have become puppet-like beings without independent thought. How is that any different from death?" Zhao Xing shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

Yu Ying headed east, while Zhao Xing headed north of Moon-Gazing City.

Diverting Nine Yin River Water into Yushen Province was a process of turning waste into treasure.

Zhao Xing chose a barren plain and used the Earth Splitting Art to create five hundred underground pits.

Once the entrances to the pits, each with a radius of ten li, had taken shape, he had the fifty thousand Skeleton Soldiers jump in and continue expanding them.

After digging three hundred li deep, they began excavating tunnels horizontally, extending all the way toward a section of the Nine Yin River.

A year later, the infrastructure project was complete.

Zhao Xing withdrew all the Skeleton Soldiers and began inspecting the tunnels.

At that point, a vast underground labyrinth had appeared beneath the plain, and the Earth Veins had been riddled with countless holes.

Zhao Xing began the second step: moving abandoned Soul Wells.

Abandoned Soul Wells were everywhere around Moon-Gazing City.

Zhao Xing first moved over five of them and transplanted them beneath the plain.

He then used the Earth Treasury Art, Vein Guiding Art, and Earth Shatter Art within the underground labyrinth, reinforcing and adjusting it.

If one could see through the earth at that moment, the underground labyrinth would resemble an alchemy furnace!

That was right. This was the Earth Refining Art Venerable Lanchuan had taught him!

"The Earth Refining Art harnesses the power of Earth Veins to create an underground furnace for refining underground treasures."

"The material is Nine Yin River Water, while the medium is the Soul Well."

"The first level of the Earth Refining Art produces only one thing: Bone Spirit Stones."

"At the second level of the Earth Refining Art, the Soul Wells revive and produce Soul Crystals."

"At the third level of the Earth Refining Art, the Soul Wells advance and give birth to White Bone servants capable of obeying orders."

"Venerable Lanchuan is quite an incredible figure." Zhao Xing could not help sighing as he studied the Earth Refining Art.

It had been created by Venerable Lanchuan, and currently only had three levels. Yet these three levels alone impressed Zhao Xing greatly, because they could produce White Bone lifeforms at the level of Six Tribulation Emperor Lords.

If it continued to be perfected, Venerable Lanchuan might very well create a Divine Art!

"This Earth Refining Art shares the same underlying principle as the Life Earth Palace." In his first year of studying it, Zhao Xing comprehended the first level completely. He felt that Venerable Lanchuan was truly remarkable.

A year later, water vapor emerged from all five Soul Wells. Bubbling streams soon surged out from the abandoned Soul Wells three hundred li underground.

"The Nine Yin River Water has been filtered layer by layer through the Earth Veins. By the time it reaches me, its toxins have been removed, and it is no longer heavy."

Zhao Xing looked at the dense spiritual qi produced within the Soul Wells. Even within the incomparably clear water, sparkling particles had appeared.

"Whoosh!"

Zhao Xing reached out and grabbed them, and more than a dozen particles appeared in his hand.

"Bone Spirit Stones. These are the Bone Spirit Stones used to advance bone bodies, but they are only low-grade at present and are of no use to me."

"I wonder what methods the other Sky Patrol Divine Guards and Earth God Officials use to turn waste into treasure."

"Senior Divine Mirror, can you spy on them for me?"

Zhao Xing knew that many Sky Patrol Divine Guards and Earth God Officials along the river were doing this.

It was not limited to Ministers of Agriculture. Formation masters and refiners among the Mechanism Masters were also gathering resources around various stretches of the Nine Yin River.

This was even a form of assessment. For instance, Aiyisuo directly gathered great medicines from the Nine Yin River itself, though that was far more difficult.

"I can, but I cannot guarantee that you will not be discovered," the artifact spirit of the Eight Directions Divine Mirror said. "After all, I am not the strongest Fate Master Divine Artifact. If you spy on others, they may discover you as well."

"Of course, you may observe those at the ranks of Sky Patrol Divine Guard and Earth God Official. Heaven God Officials certainly possess divine artifacts."

"Fine. Then I'll observe those two ranks and learn from their experience."

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, Zhao Xing had spent ten years on the wilderness north of Moon-Gazing City.

Three hundred thousand li east of Moon-Gazing City, Yu Ying looked at the Soul Well below, from which spring water was emerging, and could not help smiling.

"I finally mastered the first level. This Earth Refining Art is truly difficult."

"I wonder what level Emperor Lord Chen An has reached. When he first received the Earth Refining Art, he looked as though he had never encountered it before. He should be slower than me, right?"

"In another ten years, everyone will have to return to Moon-Gazing City to hand over tribute."

"At my current pace, I should be able to refine one hundred cubic units of high-grade Bone Spirit Crystals in ten years and hand over seventy cubic units."

"Merit will be assessed and rewards granted at the Tribute Feast. I do not expect a reward, as long as I do not come in last."

"I wonder whether Emperor Lord Chen An can cultivate the first level within ten years."

Yu Ying wanted to visit Zhao Xing's territory and offer some pointers, but she was still a Venerable. If anyone was going to seek guidance, Zhao Xing should be the one coming to ask her. How could she take the initiative so eagerly?

"Forget it. After the Tribute Feast, he will probably come ask me for advice."

At Soul Well Plain, Zhao Xing looked at the five Soul Wells and frowned.

"I have already completed the second level. All five Soul Wells have regained their vitality, but this has lowered their rate of producing Bone Spirit Stones. They keep producing useless skeleton generals instead."

"Even if I suppress them, the chance of producing gems has still been affected."

"I have only accumulated thirty thousand cubic units of Bone Spirit Stones so far. After handing over the required portion, I can keep only nine thousand cubic units for myself. That is far from enough for my breakthrough."

After considering it, Zhao Xing summoned Bai Lanjun and the other two.

"My lord, what are your orders?"

"Little Bai, use the Fire Pond to teleport to Moon-Gazing City and move a few more Soul Wells here for me. There is no need to mobilize Skeleton Soldiers. I want to expand the scale."

"Yes, my lord."

Bai Lanjun set out with Hu Qing and Yan Jun.

As soon as the three left, Fu Mengzhen approached with graceful steps, her smile alluring. "Your Majesty, it is time for dual cultivation."

Zhao Xing examined Fu Mengzhen. Her flesh had now mostly recovered. Her figure was curvaceous, and because she excelled at dance and music, her temperament was particularly outstanding, with a hint of seductiveness beneath her immortal aura.

"I will cultivate in seclusion today. My beloved consort should rest first." Zhao Xing rejected Fu Mengzhen.

"No, Your Majesty. You have not dual cultivated with me for several months."

Fu Mengzhen pestered Zhao Xing for quite some time. Seeing that her "Dao companion" remained unmoved, she could only leave filled with resentment.

"Fu Mengzhen's cultivation is nearly restored as well." Zhao Xing watched her departing figure. "The Dao Heart Bewildering Medicine Old Wei has left can last another century or so. After a hundred years, I do not know how I should deal with her."

Setting the matter aside, Zhao Xing began reading the cultivation notes Wei Tianchen had left behind.

The second level of the Earth Refining Art revived Soul Wells, and Zhao Xing had already mastered it in his third year.

The medical texts Wei Tianchen had left behind had contributed greatly, because Wei Tianchen's medical Dao was one that healed heaven and earth!

Drawing inferences from one case to another, Zhao Xing received many flashes of insight while cultivating the Earth Refining Art.

"Heal heaven and earth, prove the Great Dao, slay gods and return the Dao—"

Holding the medical text in one hand, Zhao Xing approached one of the Soul Wells with golden light flickering from his other hand.

Looking at the White Bone lifeform being nurtured within, he suddenly pointed a finger.

Bang!

The phantom of the White Bone lifeform that was taking shape instantly shattered, turning into clusters of Light Spots that eventually condensed into Bone Spirit Crystals.

Zhao Xing's heart stirred. Rather than scoop out the Bone Spirit Crystals, he acted before they fully took shape.

Using the Heaven Mending Art recorded in Wei Tianchen's medical text, he guided the clusters of light into the Soul Well.

Rumble!

The Soul Well was like a hollow bone. Now, the bone emitted pure white light and began expanding on its own.

Strands of chaotic currents entwined around the Soul Well, like manifestations of the patterns of some great heaven-and-earth Dao.

"Hmm? I can feel that the Soul Well seems stronger than before. Could it be that the third level of the Earth Refining Art also incorporates medical Dao theory? Is this the correct direction for comprehending the third level?"

"Old Wei truly is a talent." Zhao Xing could not help sighing.

He had not expected that rereading Wei Tianchen's medical text today would yield another gain, allowing him to find the path to the third level of the Earth Refining Art.

Following that direction, Zhao Xing began comprehending it.

In the fifth year, Zhao Xing mastered the third level of the Earth Refining Art!

At that point, Zhao Xing had spent merely fifteen years on the Barren Plain outside Moon-Gazing City, yet he had already fully mastered this secret art created by Venerable Lanchuan.

However, he seemed to sense that his direction of creation had diverged from Venerable Lanchuan's. In other words, there was now some difference between the directions in which the two comprehended the Dao.

Five years later, Zhao Xing's ten abandoned Soul Wells had all revived, and they drew in even more Nine Yin River Water. Yet at that time, Zhao Xing had no choice but to return to Moon-Gazing City.

Because the once-every-twenty-years Tribute Feast was about to begin.

This was both an offering to God Yu and a small test of the Sky Patrol Divine Guards' cultivation. Naturally, the greatest contributors would also receive rewards.

If possible, Zhao Xing did not want to hand over tribute. But the Sky Patrol Divine Guard token contained the divine power of the Great God Official, and it had been issued after the cleansing ended. Anyone who dared conceal or falsify their harvest would be showing disrespect to the gods. They could forget about remaining among the Sky Patrol Divine Guards.

"The Nine Yin River was a key frontier for expansion. Along its tens of millions of li, there would be at least several thousand Sky Patrol Divine Guards attending the gathering."

"I had only cultivated the third level five years ago. So far, I've Obtained only 180,000 cubic units of Bone Spirit Crystals. I Don't Know which table I'll be seated at."

Naturally, the rank banquet was divided by grade. According to heaven, earth, black, and yellow, the banquet grounds were split into four tiers. When the time came, the Great God Official would appear at the banquet and bring rewards.

"Little Bai, is the Fire Pond ready?"

Zhao Xing packed up all the Bone Spirit Crystals and called for Bai Lanjun, Hu Qing, and Yan Jun.

As for Fu Mengzhen, to avoid any unforeseen trouble, Zhao Xing had left her here to watch the house.

"My lord, the Fire Pond is ready. It leads directly to Moon-Gazing City."

"Mm, let's go. Back to the city for the banquet."

Within Moon-Gazing City, Zhao Xing emerged from the Fire Pond inside a crude building.

He headed toward the center of Moon-Gazing City along a main road.

"Clack, clack, clack~"

Before long, Yu Ying's war chariot appeared on the same road. She looked around and quickly spotted Zhao Xing.

"Fellow Daoist Chen'an, wait for me." Yu Ying swiftly drove her chariot and caught up with the walking Zhao Xing.

"Fellow Daoist Yu Ying, long time no see." Zhao Xing smiled and cupped his hands.

"Fellow Daoist Chen'an, twenty years have passed. How come you still don't even have a mount?" Yu Ying asked in confusion.

"I'm used to it," Zhao Xing said.

"If you don't mind, fellow Daoist, come sit in my carriage." Yu Ying warmly invited him.

"Sure." Zhao Xing leaped onto Yu Ying's carriage.

"Fellow Daoist, twenty years have passed since we last met. How much have you gained?" Yu Ying quickly began probing Zhao Xing's progress.

"Not much. I only Obtained 180,000 cubic units of Bone Spirit Crystals," Zhao Xing said.

"180,000 cubic units? That really is rather little." Yu Ying nodded slightly. "Among the many subordinates of the Lanchuan God Official, you'll probably rank at the bottom—wait, did you just say 180,000?"

Yu Ying had said "180,000 cubic units," but her mind had instinctively taken it as eighteen. Only after she finished speaking did she realize it, thinking she must have misheard.

"Fellow Daoist Chen'an, you aren't joking, are you? In twenty years, you refined 180,000 cubic units?"

"Yes, 180,000 cubic units." Seeing Yu Ying's shocked expression, Zhao Xing could not help but feel puzzled. "Is that a lot?"