The Silver Creature opened its mouth and spat out a ball of light. It unfurled in the wind, transforming into a Silver Fan, which swept toward Bai Yixin in a torrent of white waves.
All the towering ancient trees were uprooted and blasted apart in the sky. A stone mountain, too, was shattered to pieces, as if struck by a god. Rocks rumbled down its slopes.
The sight was terrifying. The treasure's power was immense and breathtaking, making even the Heaven-Mending Pavilion prodigies watching from afar feel their hearts pounding. This Silver Creature was undoubtedly descended from an unimaginable Royal Clan.
Otherwise, how could one so young have mastered such a Silver Fan? Its power was far too great for a juvenile remnant to wield.
But just how much damage would a treasure fan of such power inflict on Bai Yixin?
As the silver waves dissipated, a Purple Gold Giant Cauldron, unfinished and turned upside down on the ground, came into view. Bai Yixin was inside it, calmly producing a treasured sword.
This Purple Gold Giant Cauldron was the one in Bai Yixin's dantian, not yet fully formed and intended for refining his Golden Core. It was one of the manifestations of Spiritual Energy from his cultivation.
Well, although the Purple-Gold Giant Cauldron was important, if it were destroyed...
It would be fine. He could treat it as a kind of divine ability. If it was destroyed, he could simply start over and shape another giant cauldron for forming his core. That would only slow his progress toward the Golden Core stage; it would be no serious problem.
Though the treasure light from the Silver Fan was terrifying, it left no mark on the Purple Gold Giant Cauldron.
It was also because the cauldron was unexpectedly sturdy. Bai Yixin had used it to take hits more than once. Afterward, he only had to toss it back onto the platform in his dantian and nourish it again. The occasional pounding would make it even sturdier, improving his chances of forming his core when the time came.
"What kind of Treasure Technique is that?!"
Little One and the others in the distance were stunned by Bai Yixin's Purple Gold Giant Cauldron. It had actually blocked the Silver Creature's treasure attack.
"Your treasure may be powerful, but unfortunately... you're too weak!"
Bai Yixin flicked the treasured sword in his hand, producing a clear ring. He shook his head and spoke.
The ground beneath Bai Yixin's feet suddenly burst open into a deep crater, and he shot into the sky. His Azure Wings spread wide, thunder roared in his wake, and his sword flashed coldly as he charged straight at the Silver Creature!
The Silver Creature's expression changed. He could feel the force suddenly surging from Bai Yixin. It was more than he could handle, even with the treasure in his hands.
He swung his fan again. Silver light blanketed the sky and blasted toward Bai Yixin as he rushed in.
Sword Qi cleaved through the air. The sword's icy light chilled everyone present, as though a executioner's blade hung over their heads, poised to fall.
The silver light pouring down from the sky was cut in two by a single sword stroke, streaming away on either side of Bai Yixin without so much as brushing his sleeves.
The Silver Creature unleashed his power again and again, his treasured fan blazing as he attacked while retreating.
"With skills like these, you still dare to boast? You're not even worthy of being my battle servant!" Bai Yixin taunted him, sword flashing without pause as he steadily closed the distance.
The veins on the Silver Creature's face jumped. He roared, "I won't take you as a battle pet anymore. Nine-Headed Lion and the others won't get you either! I'll tear you apart and devour you today. No one's getting a powerful servant!"
"Oh? You're still deluding yourself at a time like this? Use whatever trump cards you have left. Otherwise, you won't live to see tomorrow's sun."
Bai Yixin spoke unhurriedly. There was still time before dinner, so he could play around a little longer.
"I won't waste any more time. Die!" the Silver Creature growled coldly. He spat out a dagger, which gleamed silver and shot away in an instant.
As he did, he frantically swung the Silver Fan to hold Bai Yixin back, leaving him no strength to spare for defending against the dagger.
The Silver Dagger had been ground from a Treasure Bone. It was less powerful than the fan, but still not to be underestimated.
"Clang!"
Unfortunately, all the Silver Creature's efforts barely slowed Bai Yixin down. They only made him swing out his Sword Qi a little faster.
Bai Yixin couldn't be bothered to use the Azure Edge Sword in his hand to block the Silver Dagger's sneak attack. He simply thrust out his left hand and grabbed it.
There was a clang, followed by a piercing ring. The Silver Dagger failed to pierce Bai Yixin's palm, leaving only a white mark.
"Behave yourself!"
Explosive golden lightning surged out, giving the Silver Dagger a thoroughly invigorating electric treatment. It destroyed every Rune the Silver Creature had left on it to control the treasure.
And just like that, he had gained another treasure.
"What?!" The Silver Creature was startled. Just how strong was this kid's palm, to withstand the attack of his Silver Dagger barehanded?
"Not good!" He turned and fled. He had relied on his higher cultivation and treasure to boast and provoke Bai Yixin. But this human kid was practically inhuman. Neither his cultivation nor his treasures could do a thing to him. How could he not run?
But he was a moment too slow. Seeing that the Silver Creature had run out of tricks and was trying to escape, Bai Yixin shot forward on his Azure Wings. In an instant, he crossed the distance between them, raised his sword, and brought it down.
The Silver Creature couldn't dodge in time. The sword meant to take his head struck his left arm instead. With a splurt, it was severed and fell, blood spraying everywhere.
"Damn it!"
The Silver Creature let out a sharp cry. His Silver Fan spun beneath him, lifting him up and radiating boundless light as he sped away just above the ground.
"Trying to escape? Too late!"
Bai Yixin spread his Azure Luan Bird Wings and turned into a streak of light. He quickly caught up with the Silver Creature and kicked him down.
With a boom, the Silver Creature crashed into the forest, leaving a giant human-shaped crater.
A streak of sword light flashed past, and the Silver Creature's neck was severed. He died with his eyes wide open.
Bai Yixin searched him over. He had only a few pills for treating wounds and nothing else of value.
"Ptooey (｀へ´) What a pauper!" Bai Yixin weighed the Silver Fan and Silver Dagger in his hands, then put both treasures into his Backpack Space. He turned, carried the Silver Creature's corpse, and returned to the lakeside.
"Junior Brother, what's your background? How is your cultivation so profound that you can stand against two of his treasures?"
The Heaven-Mending Pavilion disciples marveled. Bai Yixin was simply too strong. Judging by how effortlessly he had handled the fight, who knew what his full strength was?
Hearing them praise Bai Yixin, Little One puffed out his chest. He and Brother Little White had come from a little mountain village, yet they could still beat up the prodigies of all these powerful clans and factions.
"Brother Little White! You're back."
"That was easy."
Bai Yixin smiled and tossed the Silver Creature aside.
"This Primordial Remnant must be a flesh-and-blood treasure. If we could boil down his blood essence to nourish ourselves, we'd surely break through to a new realm. But I don't want to eat a humanoid being." Little One's brows knitted together as he made a troubled face, unable to decide whether to add the Silver Creature to the Bear Paw soup he was making.
"It's fine. There'll definitely be a market for him. We can trade him to someone else later." Bai Yixin thought it over. He, too, found the idea of eating a humanoid being off-putting.
The flames flickered. An hour had passed. Inside the copper cauldron, the Bear Paw glowed as it bobbed in the boiling water, radiating rosy light and filling the air with a rich meaty aroma.
"Brother Little White, add those Spirit Medicines. This pot of flesh-and-blood treasure will be even more amazing." Little One took a breath of the aroma, his face full of bliss.
"Mmm, it smells wonderful!" Bai Yixin took out the four Red Orchids he had just gathered. The Spirit Medicines were fragrant, their rosy light swirling around them, each one brilliant.
They were added to the cauldron, and auspicious light immediately surged upward.
The lid was set in place as the flames flickered and the fragrance wafted through the air. The Bear Paw turned bright red, while the Fire Cloud Sparrow meat and bear meat had softened. Their blood essence became glowing mist, infusing the rich broth before soaking back into the tender meat.
With the four Spirit Medicines added, the medicinal properties grew even stronger. The red liquid in the cauldron shone so brightly it was intoxicating.
There was no need to say more. This was undoubtedly a pot of precious medicine not to be missed.
"Sipping soup is such a wonderful thing, don't you think, Little One?" Bai Yixin gave Little One a meaningful look.
"Right! It smells so good. What do you think, Senior Brothers and Sisters?" Little One's mouth watered as he turned to the five Heaven-Mending Pavilion disciples.
"Gulp."
One after another, they swallowed.
"Ahem, you two Junior Brothers mean..." One of the senior brothers stared longingly at the pot of precious medicine. A few bites would surely improve his cultivation and help him break through his bottleneck.
"Eating comes with work. That's only natural," Bai Yixin said with a smile.
"All right, it's about ready!" Little One called, lifting the lid and scooping out a Bear Paw.
"Gulp." The senior brothers and sisters looked at one another and swallowed, but none dared to be the first to reach for it. Bai Yixin had said they would have to work after eating, and given how ruthless these two junior brothers were, the work was probably dangerous.
"Eat! You won't escape it even if you don't. Don't forget what the elders told you." Bai Yixin picked up the other Bear Paw and glanced at them.
He wanted to make things clear first. They couldn't expect to freeload off Bai and get a free meal!
"Gulp. Then... we'll follow your lead, Junior Brother. Tell us what to do, and we'll do it." The senior brothers and sisters looked at one another. What else could they do? Following these two astonishingly powerful junior brothers didn't seem so bad.
"Relax. I'm not expecting you to do much. After we eat, just go around calling out offers and see if anyone wants to trade for this Silver Creature." Bai Yixin handed them five pairs of chopsticks, inviting them to join the meal.
The five Heaven-Mending Pavilion prodigies ate a third of the meat and drank half the red broth before they could take no more. They immediately sat cross-legged, circulated their Runes, and began to cultivate.
Bai Yixin and Little One ate heartily, enjoying every bite. Golden broth splashed everywhere, and their mouths were full. They relished the meal.
The two of them devoured the rest of the bear meat and most of the red soup. Once they were full, they started to feel a little sleepy.
"Junior Brother, don't slack off. Hurry and cultivate. Use this chance to break through," one of the Heaven-Mending Pavilion senior brothers urged.
"No need. I've absorbed all this surging essence into my flesh and bones. I haven't accumulated enough for a breakthrough yet." Bai Yixin burped with satisfaction and narrowed his eyes as he spoke.
Little One had already entered meditation. He seemed to be on the verge of reaching the Seven-Cave Heaven stage.
"Ahh—~ Keep watch, everyone. I'm going to cultivate for a while~"
As the Liver Emperor, Bai Yixin naturally wouldn't sleep. Or rather, he hadn't slept in a year or two. He was either cultivating or on his way to cultivate. There was only one word for it: grind!
"Don't worry, Junior Brother. We'll take care of the watch." One of the senior brothers thumped his chest.
"I'll make sure the selling goes smoothly, too."
"Mm, sorry for the trouble." Bai Yixin nodded and casually took out an Ice Talisman to freeze the Silver Creature's corpse, keeping it from spoiling too quickly.
Then he took out a Jade Meditation Cushion, sat down cross-legged, and soon entered meditation.
The Ice Talisman and Jade Meditation Cushion had both been bought from the shop. The former needed no explanation; the latter apparently increased the user's rate of absorbing Spiritual Energy from the outside world and helped calm the mind and enter meditation.
"Cave Heaven nurturing spirits, the Inscription Realm arranging formations, carving Runes and laying formations—there's a lot of room to maneuver in these four stages. If I could set up those famous Primordial formations inside my body, wouldn't I be able to kill gods and Buddhas alike?"
"But the problem is that I can't afford a complete formation, and my current cultivation and body can't withstand a formation that's too powerful..."
"Unfortunately, it seems the most one can have is ten Cave Heavens. Shi Hao only managed to unite ten Cave Heavens, creating an unconventional eleventh Cave Heaven. Nine is the limit, ten is perfection, and when fullness overflows. Shi Hao's return of ten to one might imply reincarnation..."
"I'd like to open two more Cave Heavens and complete the twelve Earthly Branches. Then perhaps I could nurture twelve spirits as formation cores and set up the Twelve Capital Heavenly Gods and Demons Formation. Unfortunately, opening even one more might bring down something ominous."
"Besides, without the blood essence of the Twelve Ancestral Witches and, most crucially, Pangu's blood essence, setting up the Twelve Capital Heavenly Gods and Demons Formation would be a pipe dream..." Bai Yixin glanced at the shop. It was another outrageously expensive item.
"The human body has 720 acupoints along the Ren and Du meridians and the twelve regular meridians. There are about 52 single points around the body, 309 bilateral points, and 50 extra-meridian points, for a total of 720."
"Taking the body as the seed and opening the gates of potential is another path worth trying. In the future, perhaps I could find 365 acupoints to match the power of the 365 stars in the heavens, corresponding to the 365 principal stars above. Then I could use the gates of potential to stand in for the 14,800 auxiliary stars, linking them all together with the power of the Heavenly Stars to set up the Zhou Tian Star Formation!"
"On a lesser scale, the Leader's Ten Thousand Immortal Formation would be good too. It could serve as a way to unleash explosive power at a critical moment..."
"The Immortal Execution Sword Formation..."
"Unfortunately, with my current funds, I can only choose one and set up a corner of it during the Inscription Realm. Perhaps a Spirit-Gathering Formation would be nice too ╮(╯-╰")╭"
Surging Spiritual Energy flowed along his meridians through one great circuit after another, finally gathering in his dantian. It took on a purple-gold hue, climbed onto the platform, and poured into the Purple Gold Giant Cauldron.
"Junior Brother! Junior Brother! The Fire Kingdom Princess heard us calling out to trade for the Primordial Remnant and is heading this way. She'll be here soon. Should we entertain her?" A Heaven-Mending Pavilion senior sister looked at Bai Yixin with gratitude. After eating the precious medicine, they had all successfully broken through.
"Oh, she's here?" Bai Yixin had expected this. He opened his eyes and looked into the distance.
Before you continue