Luring Him In, Eight-Nine Heavenly Art

"B-but the Mountain Treasure is mine..."

Zhu Yan, unable to make his case, watched his expression shift several times before finally accepting his fate. "Fine. I'll admit defeat this time. But could you tell me what mysteries the Mountain Treasure holds?"

After all, he had fought several great fiends, Qiongqi among them, for months. He wanted to know why he was dying.

"There's no rush. We'll talk about the Mountain Treasure later."

Shi Hao first glanced at Zhu Yan. Only after the beast's hair stood on end did he flash a strange smile. "My Stone Village is still short one divine beast to guard it. I wonder if you might be interested..."

"No. Absolutely not."

Before Shi Hao could finish, Zhu Yan cut him off with brute force.

It was bad enough that this detestable human brat had snatched his Mountain Treasure. Now he even wanted Zhu Yan to stand guard over some lousy village? What a pipe dream!

"Though the Sacrificial Spirit saved my life, forcing me to stay on that account would be too overbearing. I can give the village a supreme precious art instead."

Perhaps wary of Willow Deity's presence, Zhu Yan offered a timid explanation.

"Oh? Have you ever heard of the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art?"

Shi Hao wasn't discouraged. He lured Zhu Yan in step by step.

"The Eight-Nine Heavenly Art? How do you know of this ancient heavenly art? If you can find it for me, I'd stay in Stone Village for all eternity!"

Zhu Yan's expression changed, and he smiled with extraordinary obsequiousness.

Strictly speaking, all these divine abilities and precious arts—Three Heads and Six Arms, the Seventy-Two Transformations, and Law of Heaven and Earth—had evolved from the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art.

The Eight-Nine Heavenly Art contained methods for wielding multiple precious arts and divine abilities, but focused more on the unique combat methods of the Primordial Divine Ape lineage. It was a famed ancient battle scripture.

Legend had it that in the Primordial Era, a divine king descended from Zhu Yan's ancestors had cultivated this ancient heavenly art and attained true Transcendence, achieving what was called Immortality and laying the foundation for an undying legacy.

If Zhu Yan could obtain this art, what would he need the Mountain Treasure for? Never mind restoring the fearsome majesty of his ancestors from the Primordial Era—he could surely at least ignite divine fire and become a divine king.

He would prove himself supreme today!

"Of course I don't have the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art, but I know where it is. How about this? We make a twenty-year pact. You serve Stone Village for twenty years, and after that, I'll give you a complete copy of the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art."

Shi Hao spoke unhurriedly.

"Twenty years? That might be acceptable. But how can I be sure you truly know where the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art is?"

Without even thinking, Zhu Yan accepted Shi Hao's terms.

For a pure-blooded creature with a long lifespan, a mere twenty years passed in the blink of an eye—barely enough time for a nap. It wouldn't interfere with anything important.

"That's not my problem. Believe me or don't."

Shi Hao spread his hands, then turned and walked away.

"But, but..."

Watching Little Shi walk off, Zhu Yan was so anxious he scratched his ears and cheeks.

Should he believe him?

If he did, there was no proof, and he might waste twenty years for nothing.

If he didn't, he might lose a chance at the ultimate transformation.

No—the human brat might well be telling the truth, with this mysterious Sacrificial Spirit here.

If he could obtain his clan's supreme ancient heavenly art, then why not stake twenty years on that elusive opportunity?!!

In the end, Willow Deity's sacred might was enough to convince Zhu Yan, at least for now.

"Wait! I accept the deal."

Just as Shi Hao took his seventh step, a weak voice came from behind him.

"I'm Shi Hao. Welcome to Stone Village."

Shi Hao turned back, a confident smile tugging at his lips, and gripped Zhu Yan's golden beast claw firmly.

Across the Eight Regions of the lower realm, no one had even heard of the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art, let alone knew where it was. Even Zhu Yan had learned only a few scattered details about it from his bloodline inheritance after entering the Venerable Realm.

Shi Hao was his only hope of obtaining the Eight-Nine Heavenly Art. There was no way he wouldn't agree.

Looking at Shi Hao, who had him thoroughly wrapped around his finger, Zhu Yan squeezed out a smile uglier than a grimace. Ancestor Emperor above, had he been tricked?

"Good. Now it's time to explore the mysteries of the Mountain Treasure."

Shi Hao flipped his palm, and a glittering, six-sided cube of bone appeared.

Zhu Yan's eyes blazed at the sight, but he ultimately didn't dare make a move.

"Hmm, its material..."

At the sound of his soft exclamation, Willow Deity stirred.

A strand of Order Divine Chains carried away the Mountain Treasure. At the same time, a glittering Heavenly Bone flew out of one of Shi Hao's Cave Heavens, shining in tandem with it.

"The material is identical to that of the first part of the Original True Interpretation. The middle part may be hidden in the lower realm, and there's a very high chance that this Heavenly Bone contains the Transcendence Chapter."

"This six-sided shape is a seal commonly used by the Supreme Hall. It requires six divine abilities to be activated at once to undo it. The Six Paths of Reincarnation Heavenly Art would be best."

"Could the true legacy of the Supreme Hall be hidden inside?"

"Legend has it that the middle part of the Original True Interpretation is held by the Supreme Hall. It seems that's almost certainly true. Let me think... After that True Immortal of the Supreme Hall died in battle, the war weapon he made also fell into the lower realm. That's it..."

"Though the Transcendence Chapter is no use to me, I can still learn from it."

Order Divine Chains wrapped around the Mountain Treasure. Countless divine runes surged into it like a tide along the Tender Green Willow Branch, lighting up thousands upon thousands of patterns. Holy light blossomed, and ancient gods roared.

Then, everything went dark.

"Hmm? It seems a part is missing..."

With a wistful sigh, the chains loosened around the Mountain Treasure for the time being.

Shi Hao silently watched Willow Deity analyze the Mountain Treasure's composition without saying a word.

He knew the other part of the Transcendence Chapter was hidden inside that Black Ancient Tripod, one of the three True Divine Artifacts from the Shi Clan's Ancestral Land.

In the original story, Zhu Yan and Vermilion Bird had wielded the Black Ancient Tripod against the lower-realm gods. The black tripod was smashed, revealing the White Bone Tripod beneath it, which contained part of the Transcendence Chapter.

But he was only a Cave Heaven Realm cultivator. He couldn't even see through the true nature of a True Divine Artifact, so how could he know there was another seal beneath it?

To say so now would be far too conspicuous.

It would be better to wait until he later recovered the Myriad Spirit Chart and completed the divine guidance in the first part of the Original True Interpretation. Then he could use the mysterious connection between the first and middle parts as an excuse to reveal the secret of the Black Ancient Tripod.

Zhu Yan also watched Willow Deity's actions in silence.

The boundless divine might displayed in every gesture made the Primordial fiend swallow again and again. He thought to himself that it was fortunate he hadn't acted on impulse and tried to seize the Mountain Treasure.

Otherwise, he'd have died without even knowing how.

"Mm, I was just conducting a few interesting little experiments. Don't worry. I'll open the Mountain Treasure for you now."

Perhaps sensing the unease of the man and beast, Willow Deity smiled apologetically and struck out six supreme arts with a wave of his hand.

True Hou roared, the Golden Winged Roc spread its wings, Yinglong soared, Pixiu shed blood, Zhujian... Six flawless arts instantly took effect on the Mountain Treasure's surface, and divine radiance thundered.

"Tsk, this sealing method really is the work of the Supreme Hall. But I don't need that sort of thing as the Six Paths of Reincarnation Heavenly Art."

With a soft snap, one face of the glittering six-sided bone cube cracked open.