Western Geng Metal Qi

The Red Spirit Worm had already refined the Incense and Fire Qi, as well as the divine souls, flesh, and blood of the three female cultivators from the Chayi Sect.

Yet the Incense and Fire Qi was mixed with the overly intricate desires of the mortal world, containing the seven emotions, six desires, and the eight sufferings of birth, aging, illness, death.

These worldly stray thoughts were difficult to strip away. As the Red Spirit Worm inhaled and exhaled, they gradually merged into its body.

Had it been any other spirit insect, such stray thoughts invading its body would have caused it to explode and die long ago.

But the Red Spirit Worm had been forged through the "Hundred Thousand Eight Thousand Insects" Secret Method. It was originally formed from the aggregation of one hundred and eight thousand venomous insects.

Though the "Hundred Thousand Eight Thousand Insects" Secret Method drew upon the significance of one hundred and eight thousand lives, refining it from tiny insects left it somewhat lacking in divine intent.

Now, by absorbing those worldly stray thoughts, it had instead made that divine intent whole.

"It is your good fortune as well!"

With a movement of Chen Ming's Spiritual Sense, the pure Origin Energy transformed by the Red Spirit Worm flowed over.

What followed were the cultivation methods inscribed within the divine souls of the Golden Light Divine Lord and the Chayi Sect's female cultivators.

Although the Golden Light Divine Lord followed the Divine Path and used Incense and Fire Qi as his vessel, what he truly cultivated was a breath of sharp metal qi.

His Magic Art was called Golden Light Divine Refining Skill. Chen Ming studied it closely and drew some lessons from it.

He removed the portions concerning the refinement and guidance of incense and fire, leaving only the Magic Art for drawing down Western Geng Metal Qi.

He then compared it with the Magic Art for summoning Eastern Yi Wood Qi, filling in gaps and correcting oversights. After several inspections, he found nothing missing.

Only then did Chen Ming slowly close his eyes, his divine soul contemplating as he chanted an incantation:

"Essence of metal, soul of the moon, light shining ten thousand miles, suspend the sword of the Seven Stars..."

As Chen Ming chanted, the void in the west trembled faintly. Drawn by the incantation, Western Geng Metal Qi slowly descended, transforming into a blaze of Golden Light Divine Flame.

The Creation Lotus Platform, which had remained dormant for a long time, reacted once more. It shone brilliantly, drawing over the golden flames and devouring them.

"So it really works. Only by summoning Void Qi of different natures can the Creation Lotus Platform operate!"

After the Creation Lotus Platform devoured the Golden Light Divine Flame, the patterns upon its surface grew once more. They intertwined with the patterns formed when it had previously devoured Azure Wood Qi, becoming ever more complex and profound.

With his prior experience of the Creation Lotus Platform devouring Azure Wood Qi, Chen Ming did not pause this time. He continuously chanted, causing Western Geng Metal Qi to descend and transform into Golden Light Divine Flame for the Creation Lotus Platform to consume.

Only after devouring eighty-one streams of it did the Creation Lotus Platform finally stop.

Seizing the momentum, Chen Ming moved his Spiritual Sense and gathered Western Geng Metal Qi into himself, refining several more streams of Golden Light Divine Flame and storing them within his body. He had gained another Supernatural Ability.

"Eastern wood qi and western metal qi both belong to the Five Elements Qi of the void!"

"It seems the Creation Lotus Platform must gather all five kinds of Five Elements Qi from the void before it can evolve a Magic Art!"

Watching the changes in the Creation Lotus Platform, Chen Ming came to a realization.

The Golden Light Divine Lord had previously claimed to possess Magic Arts for drawing in Void Qi, yet when Chen Ming searched through his memories, he found no trace of the Magic Arts he had mentioned.

"The Golden Light Divine Lord must have been lying then, trying to swindle me! But he has already perished. His incense Spiritual Items and his daoist grounds have all become my nourishment. Obtaining a stream of Golden Light Divine Flame is not bad either."

Having refined the Golden Light Divine Flame, Chen Ming rested briefly before immediately drawing out the soul memories of Xie Yurou, the Chayi Sect's female cultivator.

From them, he obtained the method for operating the Flying Shuttle. Her cultivation method was called Brocade Cloud Creation Method, but it was somewhat unorthodox. What it visualized was a swath of yellow cloud-mist qi, detached from the methods of the Five Elements and thus considered an alternative path.

Chen Ming tried it as well, but the Creation Lotus Platform showed no reaction, so he could only abandon the attempt.

Only after carefully examining Xie Yurou's remaining memories did he learn that the method she cultivated was not a foundational one. It had been derived from the Supernatural Ability of Fairy Caiyi, a Great Cultivator of the Spirit Condensation Realm.

Under Fairy Caiyi were seven female cultivators of the Contemplation Realm: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet.

Their attainment of the Contemplation Realm had all been achieved in this manner, entirely reliant on Fairy Caiyi's Supernatural Ability.

For a Contemplation Realm attained by relying on another in such a way, one's cultivation and Supernatural Abilities depended wholly on the likes and dislikes of the one relied upon; they were not one's own foundation.

Moreover, the Magic Arts Fairy Caiyi passed down were also meant to borrow strength in order to refine a Supernatural Ability.

Xie Yurou cultivated yellow cloud-mist and wore yellow robes. She was one of the Contemplation Realm cultivators under Fairy Caiyi.

Naturally, Chen Ming would not cultivate such a method.

However, the Flying Shuttle she had left behind was made from fairly good materials, and the Magic Art for operating it contained certain tricks for refining and controlling Magic Tools.

With one glance, Chen Ming understood its essence. It was simply a matter of refining corresponding Magic Tools according to the innate nature of Spiritual Items.

"I had been thinking down the wrong path before. My demon-refining methods can likewise be used to refine Magic Tools—the principles are all connected!"

A realization stirring within him, Chen Ming summoned the Flying Shuttle and exhaled a stream of Golden Light Divine Flame, beginning to refine it.

Before long, the Flying Shuttle melted within the Golden Light Divine Flame into a gleaming mass of golden liquid.

"Condense!"

At Chen Ming's command, the mass of liquid wriggled and transformed into a simple, ancient short sword the size of a palm.

The two characters "Void-Breaking" were engraved upon its hilt.

The original Flying Shuttle had been made from a blend of many Spiritual Items. The finished shuttle's chief ability had been speed and Void-Breaking.

Its appearance had now changed, but the intrinsic nature of its materials remained. Yet after Chen Ming refined it with Golden Light Divine Flame, it had gained some of the sharp, murderous qi of metal.

He had cultivated a Supernatural Ability, refined a dharma sword, and used the Origin Energy transformed by the Red Spirit Worm to nourish and temper his flesh and blood and divine soul.

Only after an unknown length of time did Chen Ming finally stop.

It was not that Chen Ming did not wish to continue cultivating and tempering his mana; it was simply that many matters outside remained unresolved.

Not to mention that those plotting against Golden Light Divine Lord and coveting the Spirit Tree in the temple had yet to be dealt with, the three Female Cultivators of the Chayi Sect had met their end here. Given enough time, the Chayi Sect would certainly notice.

Moreover, the Creation Lotus Platform required the Five Elements Qi of the void. At present, he only had Wood Qi and Metal Qi, and still needed to seek out other Magic Arts to refine.

Thus, Chen Ming had no choice but to stop. Only after resolving these matters could he cultivate with peace of mind.

The Red Spirit Worm was still asleep and had yet to awaken. Chen Ming left both the Spirit Devouring Jar and the Red Spirit Worm within the Grotto-Heaven Dojo.

Chen Ming possessed quite a few Supernatural Abilities, and he had also refined the "Void-Breaking" dharma sword. For the time being, that was enough.

Turning, he left the Grotto-Heaven Dojo. A flash of blue-gold radiance flickered in the outside world, and Chen Ming's figure appeared within the temple.

Qing Ling hurriedly stopped cultivating. Her head drew in the Yin Cold Qi, and her body pulled itself up by the roots, transforming into human form.

"Though the Gao Family has been destroyed, someone is still plotting behind the scenes!"

"Come down the mountain with me and take a look in the city. Let us see who exactly is stirring up trouble from behind the curtain!"

After Chen Ming spoke, a faint mist coiled around him and enveloped Qing Ling. Illusory Flesh Wings sprouted from his back, and with a gentle flap, they reached the foot of the mountain in the blink of an eye.

After arriving at the foot of the mountain, Chen Ming dispersed the mist and retracted the flesh wings from his back. "Since we are going into the city, we cannot alert the snake by poking the grass. Conceal our auras first, then enter the city."

"Yes, True Person!"

Light flashed in Qing Ling's hand, and the branch transformed from the Grotto-Heaven Dojo concealed all traces of itself. She herself took on the appearance of a Green-Robed Daoist Child.