Donghua was delighted that he had managed to refine a high-grade Houtian Spiritual Treasure on his first try.
High-grade Houtian Spiritual Treasures could be called the pinnacle of what a person could refine. Of course, there were also top-grade Houtian Spiritual Treasures, but crafting one required the right time, place, and people. Not one could be missing.
The Xuanyuan Sword was a prime example of a top-grade Houtian Spiritual Treasure. It had already been one when Taishang Laojun forged it.
Later, with the addition of humanity's merit, it directly became a Houtian Merit Supreme Treasure.
Innate Spiritual Treasures and Houtian Spiritual Treasures differed in two major ways: when they came into being, and the Great Dao Laws they contained.
Innate Spiritual Treasures could all be used to comprehend and cultivate, because they inherently contained Great Dao Laws. Houtian Spiritual Treasures, on the other hand, were generally used in battle and spell duels, making them more practical.
Of course, Innate Spiritual Treasures were also absolutely formidable in combat.
After forging Xiong Er's weapon, Donghua didn't stop. He continued refining another weapon, this time for his disciple, the Golden-winged Great Peng Qing Xuan.
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Xiong Er arrived right on time to collect his weapon, with the Golden-winged Great Peng Qing Xuan alongside him.
"This disciple pays his respects to Master."
"Xiong Er pays his respects to Great God."
Donghua waved a hand to signal that they needn't stand on ceremony, then brought out the Mysterious Iron Rod and handed it to Xiong Er.
Xiong Er took the rod, then couldn't resist swinging it around.
"A high-grade Houtian Spiritual Treasure?"
When he realized that the weapon in his hands was actually a high-grade Houtian Spiritual Treasure, Xiong Er cried out in shock.
"Great God, this is far too precious. I can't accept it." Xiong Er hurriedly held the Mysterious Iron Rod out toward Donghua.
Though the difference was only two grades, it was like night and day. He knew exactly what quality his weapon had been before, so he truly couldn't accept it.
Donghua waved his hand without taking it back. "It's fine. Keep it. I forged it for you, after all."
Xiong Er hesitated again. It was simply too precious.
"Take it. But 'Mysterious Iron Rod' doesn't really suit it anymore. You can give it a new name."
Xiong Er solemnly accepted the weapon and bowed three times to Donghua. "Emperor Lord, your kindness to me is immense. Xiong Er is deeply grateful. Should you ever have need of me, I will never refuse. I humbly ask you to name it."
Donghua smiled. He hadn't expected one attempt at forging a weapon to earn him a loyal underling. He wasn't even Xiong Er's superior, yet Xiong Er had suddenly started calling him Emperor Lord. The meaning was obvious.
"You simpleton, there's no need to go that far. The Mysterious Iron Rod was tempered in my Hunyuan Cauldron, and it contains a divine ability I recently comprehended: Size As One Wishes. Why not call it the Hunyuan Ruyi Cudgel?"
"What do you think?"
Xiong Er raised the Hunyuan Ruyi Cudgel in both hands. "Thank you, Emperor Lord, for bestowing the name."
Seeing that Xiong Er had no objections, Donghua swept his right hand, and the five characters for "Hunyuan Ruyi Cudgel" were inscribed onto it.
Once he was done, Donghua took out a long, silvery-white spear. A chilling aura radiated from its shaft.
He handed the spear to Qing Xuan. It, too, had been specially forged for him, and was a high-grade Houtian Spiritual Treasure.
Qing Xuan happily accepted the spear. "Thank you, Master, for this treasure."
"Think nothing of it. It's just a mere Houtian Spiritual Treasure. I saw you fight last time, and you handled a spear well, but your weapon wasn't up to the task. So I forged you a new one."
"This spear was mainly forged from Moon Star essence and the bones of a Dragon at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. I refined the Yin Yang Law and Law of Space into it. It can change size as you wish, and suits you very well."
"I've named it the Hunyuan Bright Silver Spear, also known as the Dragon Gallbladder Bright Silver Spear."
"Do you like it?"
Qing Xuan took the spear and began to wield it, thrusting and sweeping it from side to side.
Watching from nearby, Xiong Er was tempted. He lifted his cudgel and charged straight at him.
The two fought without using any magical power, relying solely on their combat skills. They battled fiercely, neither gaining the upper hand.
Before long, they ended the fight and returned to Donghua.
"Master, the Hunyuan Bright Silver Spear suits me perfectly. Thank you again."
"Good. You're welcome. Make sure to cultivate diligently."
After the others left, Donghua returned to his life of hard cultivation: teaching, lecturing on the Dao, cultivating magical power, and Slaying the Corpse.
He didn't know why, but Slaying the Corpse had seemed much less difficult lately. In fact, it was going faster.
In the blink of an eye, Donghua had spent a hundred years in the Iron Eater Beast tribe, and he had grown familiar with everyone there.
From the elders to the children who had only recently been born, everyone knew the name Tai Wei.
One day, Donghua summoned Xiong Er.
"Xiong Er, I've cultivated here for a hundred years. It's time for me to leave. Your father still hasn't returned, and it wouldn't be right to leave without saying goodbye."
After speaking, Donghua handed Xiong Er a jade slip. "Give this to your father when he returns. He'll understand."
Xiong Er asked anxiously, "Emperor Lord, why are you leaving? Have we failed to take good care of you?"
Donghua patted Xiong Er on the shoulder. "There are no feasts that never end. I came to travel the Primordial Wilderness. How could I stay here forever?"
After Donghua spoke, the three of them prepared to leave.
Suddenly, a deafening boom came from the distant sky.
At the front line, where the Demon Race Heavenly Court and the Demon God Race faced off, the sounds of battle shook the heavens.
Qing Xuan asked in confusion, "Master, what happened?"
Donghua said nothing. Primordial Spirit Power surged from him, and in an instant, he reached the battlefield.
Countless members of the Demon Race and the Demon God Race were fighting there.
Killing intent filled the air. In an instant, the sky and earth turned blood-red.
"The Demon Race and the Demon God Race have gone to war. Judging by the scale, this battle is no small matter."
Xiong Er cried out in shock, "How can this be? Weren't both races entering a period of peaceful development? And we've never heard fighting this terrifying before."
Donghua was just as perplexed. He made a series of hand seals, then brought them to a space near the battlefield in an instant. He once more used the power of time and space to isolate that area.
Using a temporal imprint, he performed the Water Mirror Art, relaying the distant battlefield's situation in full.
Within the rippling mirror, countless soldiers of the Demon Race and the Demon God Race fought each other. Every one of them had reached the Immortal realm.
Those below the Golden Immortal realm were no different from ordinary soldiers there. The two sides' battle was like a massive meat grinder, claiming lives with every passing second.
Heavenly Immortals, Spirit Immortals, Mystic Immortals, True Immortals, and Golden Immortals could all fall at any moment.
In the sky, Eastern Wood Demon God Ju Mang stood shoulder to shoulder with Lightning Demon God Qiang Liang.
Across from them stood a figure clad in green. His face was as fair as white jade, and he looked gentle and refined.
He was none other than Xi Emperor Fuxi of the Heavenly Court, also known as the Green Emperor.
Fuxi said, "Ju Mang, Qiang Liang, have you two come to attack my Heavenly Court because you want to die?"
Ju Mang said nothing. Qiang Liang laughed loudly. "Fuxi, fortunes rise and fall! What right do you beasts of the Demon Race, with your hairy bodies, horns, and origins in wet birth or eggs, have to lay claim to heaven and earth? Fuxi, since you're an Innate Deity, I'll spare your life if you submit to my Demon God Race."
Fuxi looked at the two of them and said nothing more. But his hands, hidden behind his back, were clenched together, showing that his heart was far from calm.
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