"Evil Sword Immortal? Using an undying Primordial Spirit to refine Myriad Spirit Pills?"
Xu Ying's mind buzzed as he looked up. The four-armed divine statue was bending over and staring at the pearl, but this deity was dead too. It had only a shell, with no soul.
Its head had not exploded. Light flickered inside it, and it was precisely the Soul Summoning Incantation Xu Ying had seen earlier!
Those incantations had lit up and were clearly operating!
Master Zhong called out, "Just now, the two stone dragons were bewitched by the statue's Incense Qi. What they recited was the Soul Summoning Incantation! The two divine dragons recited themselves to death! After they died, that spirit pearl sucked their souls over, pulverized their souls, and retained only their undying Primordial Spirits!"
This method was extraordinarily sinister. The divine statue's head was covered in Soul Summoning Incantations, while its body was wrapped in unbelievably powerful Incense Qi. Once the incantations operated, they would draw living beings with souls to the vicinity. After they arrived, the Incense Qi would bewitch them and make them superstitious.
Once they became superstitious, they would prostrate themselves before the divine statue and involuntarily chant the Soul Summoning Incantation. As they chanted, their own heads would explode, and their souls would fly out of their bodies.
Even that was not the end. After chanting themselves to death and their souls flew up, they would be pulverized by the incantations on the altar. Their souls would scatter, leaving behind only the last trace of their undying Primordial Spirits to become part of a Myriad Spirit Pill!
Master Zhong said, "Souls are composed of the Three Souls and Seven Spirits. The undying Primordial Spirit is the foundation of the soul. It does not belong among the Three Souls and Seven Spirits, and is extremely tiny. Only after pulverizing the Three Souls and Seven Spirits can one obtain the slightest bit of an undying Primordial Spirit. To refine a Myriad Spirit Pill, one needs at least ten thousand ordinary souls. In the ancient era, virtuous Qi Refiners often refined Myriad Spirit Pills by slaying ferocious ghosts and evil ghosts that brought calamity upon the world."
The owner of the altar clearly was not killing ferocious ghosts and evil ghosts. Instead, he was using the Soul Summoning Incantation to lure people here, kill them, seize their souls, shatter their souls, and extract their spirits!
This was absolutely the work of an evil path!
Xu Ying gazed up at the temple floating between the five immortal mountains and murmured, "Yuan Qi is still in the temple..."
Master Zhong sighed. "He died a terrible death."
Xu Ying asked, "Yuan Qi should still be alive, right?"
"Just consider him dead. We can't save him anyway."
Xu Ying fell silent. When he had ridden Master Zhong through the sky just now, he had seen altars of various sizes scattered like stars across this immortal mountain, hidden among the forests.
If things were truly as Master Zhong had said, and the Evil Sword Immortal pulverized people's souls and used their undying Primordial Spirits to refine Myriad Spirit Pills, then how many people had to be killed and how many souls had to be extracted to refine so many pills?
"Strange. Why were the Soul Summoning Incantations I saw just now not quite orthodox?"
Master Zhong was puzzled. "This Evil Sword Immortal refined so many Myriad Spirit Pills on such a vast scale. He must have been a ruthless figure among the Ancient Qi Refiners. Why could an existence like that make several mistakes even in the Soul Summoning Incantation?"
Xu Ying was slightly taken aback. There was indeed something strange about this.
Could an immortal make such low-level mistakes?
Suddenly, a strange fragrance drifted from the altar. It was the scent released by the ripening Myriad Spirit Pill.
It was a marvelous fragrance. Ordinary fragrances only affected the nose, but the fragrance of a Myriad Spirit Pill targeted the soul. Just one sniff made one's soul feel ravenously hungry, wishing to rush forward at once and swallow the thing whole!
Of the four divine dragons at the Confucian Temple, only two stone dragons remained. They were deities who enjoyed worshippers' offerings and had no true fleshly bodies. Incense Qi was filled with people's desires, and as divine soul-spirit entities, they found this fragrance even harder to resist.
Just moments ago, the two stone dragons had been immersed in grief over their brothers' deaths. Now they both pounced toward the altar, shouting, "This spirit pill is mine!"
The stone dragon behind Xu Ying immediately revealed its true stone-dragon form as it ran. It trod on smoke and clouds, weaving through the air, while the Incense Qi transformed into flying swords that slashed toward the other stone dragon in the sky.
The other stone dragon held the advantage of the air, sending its flying swords swooping down from above.
The flying swords tore through the air with shrill whistles. When they struck the dragons, sparks flew in all directions.
The two stone dragons wrestled in midair, their tempers flaring as they fought. They no longer cared about brotherly affection and only wanted to kill the other and obtain the Myriad Spirit Pill.
Suddenly, one stone dragon pressed the other down and slammed it onto the altar with a thunderous boom. It extended a claw toward the pill at the altar's center and shouted, "I have a feeling that once I eat this pill, I'll become an immortal!"
"Boom!"
Its head exploded, and its soul drifted up, faint and ethereal. Suddenly, there was another boom. The stone dragon pinned beneath it also had its head explode. The souls of the two dragons floated in the air, still fighting and killing each other as they shouted, "The spirit pill is mine!"
Their souls did not fly toward the Myriad Spirit Pill. Instead, they were drawn by the Soul Summoning Incantations inside the head of the four-armed divine statue and flew toward its head.
On the altar, the stone dragons stiffened and stood there motionless. Several stones fell from their exploded skulls, making crisp pattering sounds.
Xu Ying remained where he was, staring at the scene in astonishment. In a mere moment, four formidable foes had perished. The youth was stunned.
"This Myriad Spirit Pill is truly sinister."
Xu Ying cautiously walked forward and asked, "Master Zhong, what benefits does taking a Myriad Spirit Pill provide?"
Master Zhong said, "I've only heard that a Myriad Spirit Pill can heal damage to the Primordial Spirit and make up for deficiencies in the soul. I haven't heard of any other benefits."
It paused, then said, "My era already belonged to the Age of Dharma Decline of the Qi Refiners. Many things had been lost. Even if my master possessed peerless talent, it was impossible for him to know everything, much less me."
Its tone was somewhat dejected. Its master, who had possessed peerless talent, had disappeared from the world after suppressing the demoness. In the three thousand years since, it had received no news of its master.
Xu Ying reached the altar, but his divine sense was disrupted by the chants of the countless people. Waves of recitation rang in his ears, and he could not help wanting to kneel and become a believer of this four-armed divine statue!
"If I hadn't cultivated divine sense, I would have died here just like the four dragons of the Confucian Temple!"
Xu Ying steadied his divine sense. No matter how powerful the chants of the countless people ringing beside his ears were, his mind remained unmoving and firm as one. He continued forward!
The benefits of cultivating the Taiyi Guiding Technique over these years now showed themselves. Even such dense Incense Qi from the four-armed deity could not suppress his divine sense!
Xu Ying came beneath the divine statue and looked up. The statue gleamed with golden light, and Incense Qi billowed around it. He thought, "This deity's cultivation is probably more than five hundred years! Eight hundred or even a thousand years is possible!"
Across the Divine Land, temples with five hundred uninterrupted years of worship could indeed be found. But great temples with eight hundred or even a thousand uninterrupted years of worship were probably few and far between.
When he had glanced down hurriedly from the sky, he had seen dozens of altars. Each altar had a divine statue, meaning there were dozens of divine statues!
Adding the places on this mountain he had not seen, as well as the other four immortal mountains, there were probably even more divine statues!
Then, where had these deities come from?
Xu Ying lightly sprang up and landed on the altar.
Suddenly, the chants of the countless people boiled over, chaotic and clamorous, making Xu Ying's head swell until it nearly exploded!
"Clang!"
The bell rang out, long and sonorous, protecting Xu Ying's mind and keeping all external influences at bay.
Xu Ying's swollen head returned to normal, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. He entered the altar, plucked the Myriad Spirit Pill floating above it, and asked, "Can ordinary people eat a Myriad Spirit Pill too?"
Master Zhong said, "I don't know either. A Ying, I keep feeling that something is wrong. We'd better leave quickly."
Xu Ying also felt as if he had overlooked something. He tilted his head back and swallowed the Myriad Spirit Pill. Before he had time to taste it, he saw the four-armed divine statue grip the altar's edge with one of its large hands. Its fingers twitched slightly!
Xu Ying immediately understood what he had overlooked.
"The souls of the two stone dragons were sucked into the four-armed divine statue!"
He hurriedly rose into the air. With a snap, the four-armed deity's two broad hands, shaped like winnowing baskets, slammed together. Xu Ying happened to leap out from between the palms at the instant they closed!
"The four-armed divine statue originally had no soul. After absorbing the souls of those two deities, it gained one!"
Xu Ying was in midair when he saw the four-armed deity's other two hands swat toward him like they were striking a fly, but he had nowhere to borrow strength.
Xu Ying stepped on Master Zhong with the tips of his toes, and his body shot upward again, avoiding the blow.
Master Zhong fell downward and was just about to curse Xu Ying for being disloyal when it saw Xu Ying plant both feet heavily on the four-armed deity's face. Headfirst and feet upward, he shot out like an arrow loosed from a bow, falling toward the altar!
He landed on the altar, and Master Zhong happened to fall down as well. Xu Ying grabbed its knob, took one step, and charged out of the altar.
The entire string of movements had been crisp and decisive. The four-armed deity was dazzled by them, its four hands flailing, yet it failed to touch Xu Ying in the slightest before Xu Ying escaped the altar with Master Zhong.
Xu Ying activated the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist. Behind him appeared the Elephant King Divine Body, his feet as powerful as ten-thousand-jin divine elephants. One step carried him seven or eight yards. Each time his feet struck the ground, mountain rock shattered and the earth exploded as he sprinted wildly forward.
Behind him, the four-armed deity roared. It gripped the enormous altar with both hands, lifted the incomparably heavy altar, and swung it around once.
"Whoosh—"
The altar spun through the air, surpassing the speed of sound in an instant and erupting with a thunderous boom as it smashed toward Xu Ying!
Xu Ying glanced back and saw this sight. His heart and guts nearly split apart, and he hurriedly ran for his life. With a thunderous crash, the enormous altar slammed down behind him, and surging waves of air hurled him and Master Zhong high into the air amid countless crumbling boulders!
Xu Ying's body shook violently. The Elephant King Divine Body behind him also trembled until it grew limp, while his qi and blood scattered like drifting dust and sand.
The youth crashed to the ground, rolling several times before springing up and sprinting forward again.
Behind him, the four-armed deity crouched, then suddenly exploded forward and chased after him with a howl. Master Zhong's bell was hoarse as it cried, "A Ying, faster! Faster! That bastard is catching up!"
Xu Ying raced ahead at full speed. Suddenly, shrill whistles sounded behind him. Long swords, each seven or eight feet in length, came ripping through the air. Their Sword Qi was astonishing. Wherever they passed, trees toppled one after another, and mountain rocks split apart without a sound.
Xu Ying dodged one of the long swords. It scraped across the ground, cutting a ditch through it with irresistible force.
The four-armed deity's Incense Qi flying swords were terrifyingly powerful, far beyond anything Xu Ying had ever seen. Just as he was about to be surrounded by sword after sword, the four-armed deity came flying from behind as well. Xu Ying turned around while running, gathered qi into a sword, and sent a Sword Qi streaking across the sky like a rainbow, slashing down toward the four-armed deity!
Caught off guard, the four-armed deity immediately raised two arms before itself while simultaneously mobilizing its Incense Qi. Yet Xu Ying's World Breaker Sword Qi was dense and powerful. It had once slain an expert like Zhou Yihang, and when it struck the deity's arms, its might surged, seeming ready to sever both arms!
The four-armed deity's forward momentum halted at once, and it retreated rapidly to avoid the sword light.
Its Incense Qi immediately transformed into layer upon layer of smoke-blue shields, blocking its front and back. In the brief time it had been delayed, Xu Ying had already taken the opportunity to flee without a trace.
The four-armed deity flew into a towering rage. Clouds formed beneath its feet as it rose step by step and sprinted wildly through the air, searching for Xu Ying. Still unable to find him, it vented its anger on others and launched a merciless massacre against the deities under the Yongzhou officials and Ling Tongpan.
After it left, the ground bulged slightly, and Xu Ying burrowed out of the soil. He had not fled just now. Instead, while the four-armed deity retreated, he had dug a pit and buried himself, which was how he had escaped disaster.
"This deity is too powerful!"
Xu Ying let out a breath and looked up. In the sky, he saw the floating boulders awaken and begin slaughtering wildly. The four-armed deity was also brutally attacking Prefect Zhou Heng and Ling Tongpan's forces, leaving these people and deities suffering heavy casualties in an instant!
Xu Ying activated his Heaven's Eye and looked over. After these people died, their Ghost Souls left their bodies and drifted toward the five immortal mountains.
Master Zhong said, "So many people have died, and they're all experts. Their souls will probably cause quite a few Myriad Spirit Pills to mature!"
Xu Ying frowned. "I'm afraid they'll also cause quite a few divine statues to awaken!"
The survivors who had escaped disaster rushed downward and hid within the immortal mountains. Xu Ying grew deeply uneasy and said in a low voice, "Master Zhong, we have to reach the great temple soon and rescue Yuan Qi."
Master Zhong said, "Yuan Qi died such a terrible death. A Ying, let's get out of here. Once we're outside, we'll give him a golden body and place it in the village so people can worship him. His corpse probably hasn't started to stink yet."
The Great Temple.
This temple floated between the five immortal mountains. Treasure Qi soared within it, and Immortal Light shimmered hazily. Upon reaching this place, one's mind became clear and refreshed, and one could feel one's cultivation slowly improving with every breath.
Yuan Qi was coiled excitedly before the temple hall. Nu Masters, monsters, and deities were gathered around him, along with several nearby villagers.
Whether human, monster, or ghost deity, they were all seated upright before the hall, quietly listening.
The hall was a majestic immortal palace, shining with dazzling light that illuminated the eyes. A sun floated above it, its radiance shining across the ruined temple world and making this place as bright as day.
Seated before the hall was an immortal dressed in white. He had white brows and a white beard, and his white robes and beard drifted without any wind. Immortal bearing and immortal aura surrounded him, inspiring awe and reverence at a glance.
The Immortal Light around his body resembled flying swords with their sword tips pointing outward, circling him without end.
The immortal began, "Someone obtained my Dao techniques. At the beginning of his cultivation, he comprehended the rotation of the Jade Pivot. When his true essence flowed along the normal route, he felt comfortable; when it flowed in reverse, he felt ill at ease. Thus, he followed the Way. Several years passed, yet his cultivation did not advance by an inch, while his fellow disciples progressed with astonishing speed. The disciple asked me, 'If I follow the Way, why am I inferior to others?'"
The immortal smiled. "Following Heaven makes one mortal; going against Heaven makes one an immortal. This is the Way of cultivating truth."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone beneath the hall erupted into commotion, discussing animatedly and sighing in admiration.
The white-robed immortal said, "Since you have entered my immortal realm, you are fated to be here. Today, I shall teach you an immortal technique called <Detailed Explanation of the Jade Pivot of Dao Truth>. How much you can obtain will depend on your own fortune."
He closed his eyes and recited the true scripture. The people below hurriedly committed it to memory and comprehended it. It was indeed a scripture of indescribable wonder, and some immediately began cultivating it.
When they tried the technique, the qi within their bodies revolved according to the Jade Pivot. It flowed comfortably in the normal direction and caused pain when flowing in reverse, exactly as the Immortal Master had said.
----Many thanks to the two alliance leaders, Spiritual Profound Dream Falls Still and What Can Be Known, for their rewards. I wasn't feeling well these past two days and forgot to thank you both for your rewards, so I'm making up for it today.
Before you continue