Refining the Xuanyaun Controlling Water Flag

Kunpeng watched as the black banner drifted lightly into Guiyuan's grasp, a flicker of unwillingness flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by resignation.

Outmatched in skill, what could he do but sigh?

Suppressing the churning blood and qi within him, along with the spiritual pain from his natal treasure's injury, he cupped his hands toward Guiyuan and spoke with blunt frankness: "Daoist Guiyuan, your divine abilities are vast; I am no match. This treasure is rightfully yours. Let us part ways today. Once my injuries heal, I shall return to sit and discuss the Dao with you, exploring the path to the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm."

Guiyuan held the slightly cool Xuanyuan Controlling Water Flag in his hand and returned the gesture, his expression calm: "You yield, Daoist. When that day of Dao discussion comes, I will surely sweep the mat and welcome you."

Kunpeng said no more. His form transformed into a streak of dim light and vanished into the depths of the Northern Abyss in an instant. He truly needed to return quickly to repair the Kunpeng Nest and tend to his injuries.

Watching the direction Kunpeng had departed, Guiyuan's eyes flickered with a trace of barely perceptible regret. "A pity..."

Both were Innate Sacreds of the Northern Abyss, each protected by their own fate and fortune. Moreover, this Kunpeng had slain Ferocious Beasts in the early days and still bore a fair amount of Heavenly Dao Merit. If he forcibly killed him, the backlash of Karmic Retribution would outweigh any gain. If he had followed his ruthless style from the Eternal Life World, where he campaigned across the heavens under Fang Han, he would have long since extracted the soul and refined the body of such a defeated foe, or smelted him into a great elixir to nourish his own cultivation. How could he let him go so easily? Not to mention that he now bore a Heavenly Mandate; to reverse the fate of having his limbs severed, he had to tread carefully with his cultivation, luck, and merit alike.

"The Primordial World is truly different from Eternal Life—more rules," he mused inwardly, setting aside that thought.

With the formidable enemy gone, the surrounding sea returned to silence. Guiyuan sat cross-legged in the void, his gaze falling on the Xuanyuan Controlling Water Flag in his hand. The banner's surface was pitch-black, warm and smooth to the touch, as if bearing the ultimate yin and softness of the Northern Abyss's waters. As his divine sense probed inward, he immediately felt layer upon layer of intricate, endlessly complex Innate Restrictions.

In the Primordial World, treasures were born innately, containing complete Dao laws within. Their grade was determined first by the strength of their origin, and second by the number of "Innate Restrictions" they held. Ordinary Acquired Treasures had restrictions artificially refined and engraved, with their limits. Innate Treasures, however, had restrictions naturally generated by the Great Dao, infinitely profound. Based on the number of restriction layers, they could be roughly categorized: Low-grade Innate Treasures contained 1 to 12 Innate Restrictions; Mid-grade Innate Treasures contained 13 to 24; High-grade Innate Treasures contained 25 to 36; Top-grade Innate Treasures contained 37 to 48. As for the legendary Innate Supreme Treasures, they held 49 Innate Restrictions, the ultimate number of the Great Dao.

The Xuanyuan Controlling Water Flag in Guiyuan's hand astonishingly contained 48 Innate Restrictions! Only one short of entering the ranks of Supreme Treasures, it was truly a pinnacle Top-grade Innate Treasure of the Primordial World.

"No wonder it's one of the Five Innate Banners," he thought with understanding. Without further hesitation, he channeled his mana and began refining it.

His divine sense, like threads of silk, delved into the banner, winding around the first Innate Restriction. Water vapor swirled, and Dao rhythms flowed, as if he were immersed in a boundless ocean, feeling water's ultimate softness, ultimate hardness, nourishment, and destruction...

Time passed quietly amid the refinement. One restriction, two, three... Guiyuan's comprehension of the Great Dao of Water surged wildly. The North Sea Black Tortoise's Origin Foundation was inherently attuned to water, and now, with this treasure's Dao confirmation, it was like a tiger gaining wings. Countless mysteries of "water" naturally surfaced in his mind; previously obscure points now became crystal clear. He was immersed in an ocean of the Dao.

Yet, when he refined up to the 24th Innate Restriction, a powerful resistance suddenly emerged. No matter how he drove his mana and divine sense, the 25th restriction seemed separated by an unyielding membrane, impossible to breach. Guiyuan understood and stopped.

"That's right—treasures have spirits and choose their masters. If one's strength is insufficient, full recognition cannot be obtained." With his current cultivation at the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm, refining 24 restrictions was barely enough to control this banner and unleash most of its power. To fully refine all 48 restrictions, one would need to be at the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm or even higher.

He thought, and the Xuanyuan Controlling Water Flag transformed into a streak of black light that sank into his body, taking it within his true spirit. The divine artifact would protect its master on its own, even without Guiyuan needing to activate it.

If attacked, it would spontaneously unleash a portion of its power, blocking a blow for Guiyuan.

Guiyuan sat cross-legged on the water's surface. Now, the first tribulation—the transformation into form—had already passed.

The "Fate of Transformation" added by the Great Destiny Technique was ultimately only a temporary evasion. If, before the great tribulation arrived, he still had no way to deal with it, he feared he would fall and have to start over in cultivation.

After all, this involved the safety of the entire Primordial World. At that time, he would likely have to face the coercion of many sages.

"Troublesome."

Guiyuan's joy at obtaining the divine artifact vanished, and he began to calculate how to scheme.

To survive in the Primordial World, there were ultimately four things: background, cultivation, merit, and luck.

If you were a disciple of a sage, any being who wanted to kill you only had to invoke your background, and nothing would happen.

Cultivation went without saying—in the Primordial World, strength reigned supreme.

As for merit and luck.

If you were protected by merit, killing you recklessly would bring karmic sin, a loss outweighing gain—just like Kunpeng earlier.

And luck.

Take Yun Zhongzi of later ages, for example. He was born with luck, and ordinary people didn't want to kill him. Killing a being favored by luck at will would reduce one's own luck.

What was the difference between the two?

Karmic sin would take effect immediately—dazed divine soul, obscure Great Dao, even tribulations appearing.

Luck, on the other hand, was like grinding water—slowly, bit by bit, making you suffer.

"So, to reverse the Heavenly Mandate, background is out of the question. I have to start with cultivation, merit, and luck all at once."

"Cultivation doesn't need scheming, so I have to scheme for merit and luck."

Guiyuan calculated in his mind. Merit came only from contributing to heaven and earth, while luck increased by gathering people with luck around you.

"Cleansing the Sha Qi and restoring peace to the north—isn't that one way to gain merit? Those two in the West even used it to represent the West."

"If I purify the north, then the northern living beings will benefit from me, and the north's luck will naturally converge toward me.

And since this Sha Qi harms heaven and earth, clearing it away will also grant merit as a reward."

Guiyuan stood up. "If there are Ferocious Beasts, even better. I can refine them into pills and supplement myself!"

"This north, covered in Sha Qi—what kind of dead land is it? This is a treasure land!"

Guiyuan thought of the vast amounts of Sha Qi and Ferocious Beast corpses scattered across the Northern Continent. Others had no way to deal with them—even a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal had to tread carefully.

But he was different.

The Eternal Life Great World loved this kind of resource the most. For the sake of "eating," there were matching methods for souls, flesh and blood, and even Sha Qi.

Whether for increasing cultivation or condensing divine abilities, not a single one was left out—each had its place.