Ritual Method

A roar shook Yu Ci's mind. A beam of light carrying inexplicable information pierced through, suddenly activating and forming a string of short, clear sentences that ultimately combined into an incantation. It taught him how to regulate his breathing, how to mobilize his divine intent, and what method to use to harmonize the two, finally applying it to the Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror.

This is... Yu Ci pondered it over ten times in his mind before realizing: this was the refining method for the Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror!

This information had been hidden deep within the bronze mirror in some form. Even when it fell into the hands of the Twin Immortals Purple Thunder and Crimson Yin, they hadn't discovered it. Perhaps Yu Ci truly had some luck, accidentally triggering a mechanism and receiving the information.

The incantation was concise, teaching people step-by-step without any unnecessary explanations. Fortunately, Yu Ci had already learned the relevant basic concepts from Ye Tu, so he wasn't completely lost. In fact, this concise narrative style suited him better; he could simply follow the instructions without overthinking any hidden meanings.

Yu Ci also noticed that within this refining incantation, only one part was "superfluous" to him. That was the initial "nurturing the mirror" step, which involved establishing a connection with the Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror's aura until they merged. The incantation achieved this through a lengthy and complex ritual text, which contained numerous praises to the so-called "Boundless Void Divine Lord," stating that a devout heart would earn the Divine Lord's response and unlock the treasure mirror's divine abilities.

However, Yu Ci obtained this refining incantation a bit too late. Instead of wholeheartedly performing the ritual as the incantation instructed, he used the most cumbersome method: he kept the Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror close to his body and constantly infused it with his true qi, obtaining the Azure Light Spiritual Guidance for drawing talismans.

After twelve years of such close proximity, the object's nature and human essence naturally harmonized, establishing a connection and bypassing the ritualistic step. Once he entered the Spirit 통 realm and met the most basic requirements for refining, everything fell into place.

This was precisely the fundamental reason why the Twin Immortals Purple Thunder and Crimson Yin couldn't unlock the mirror's magical effects. With their status, how could they possibly carry a mirror on their person all the time? Even if they did, they would store it in a Storage Ring, so how could it be like Yu Ci, keeping it constantly against his skin until their auras became interconnected?

Yu Ci's body remained still for a long while before he reached out and took down the suspended bronze mirror. The Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror was surprisingly hot to the touch, as if it had been roasted over a fire for a long time, and a strange luster flowed across its surface. He stared at the mirror, wishing he could dismantle it to see what other incredible secrets it held.

Regardless, after twelve years of possession, he had finally obtained the refining method for this treasure, which declared that he had finally become the undisputed master of the Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror.

With such a gain, the dangers he had faced earlier seemed insignificant.

As if responding to his joyful mood, the Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror flashed again, and the Zhaoshen Map, which had just faded, reappeared in the void. With a shift of his thoughts, he could see a middle-aged man in dark gold robes and a jade belt on Dan Cliff, stepping into a carriage. The head steward, Lu Yang, led two young men, standing respectfully to the side, while all other servants and warriors prostrated themselves as if before a deity.

The carriage was pulled by four magnificent Cloud-Treading Beasts. Their skeletal frames were imposing, and their canopies were woven from celestial silk. While luxurious, they could traverse mountains and cross rivers, covering a thousand miles a day with ease. Who else could ride such a carriage and be revered by the people of Bai Ri Mansion with such awe, if not the Mansion Lord Jin Huan himself?

The thought struck Yu Ci, and he suddenly froze. The next moment, a thick fog descended, shrouding the clear image in a heavy haze, making it indistinct.

Was what he had just seen truly Jin Huan?

Yu Ci was still in doubt. He took a deep breath and focused his gaze again. Within a radius of about half a mile, everything was indeed blurry... It was just blurry. If he squinted, he could still see figures moving within, but their faces were indistinguishable. Although the image couldn't be restored to its previous clarity, the scene of intensely distorted light and shadow was no longer visible.

This was progress, and no "progress" could be more tangible than this.

Yu Ci suppressed his joy and stared intently at the movement of the misty spots. He saw these spots descend from Dan Cliff and head towards the east gate of Juebi City, on the same path as him!

It's good that we're going the same way!

Among the world's hundred thousand mountains, the Duanjie Mountain Range was neither the most majestic nor the richest in spiritual veins. However, it still held a very important place in the hearts of the region's inhabitants. This was because it was the source of the two longest rivers in the region and also the westernmost point of the Eastern cultivation world. Further west lay the Sky-Rending Chasm, the boundary between east and west, geographically dividing the cultivation world in half.

The Western world was very distant, as was the legendary boundless Buddhist Kingdom. Most people, and even most cultivators, never had the chance to visit it in their lifetime. Therefore, in the minds of many, the Duanjie Mountain Range was the end of the world.

It had been sixteen days since Yu Ci left Juebi City. He wandered through the depths of the Duanjie Mountain Range like a ghost of the wilderness. The mountains were so vast that even with the Zhaoshen Map, he was almost lost. Fortunately, he had a very clear objective.

The Hengduan Mountains were rarely trodden. Jin Huan's group of ten was likely the largest party within a thousand-mile radius, and they had not deliberately concealed their tracks. This made Yu Ci feel that even without the Zhaoshen Map, he probably wouldn't have lost them.

Of course, Yu Ci would never risk getting too close. After a period of observation, he felt the immense power of Core Formation cultivators more vividly. During the fixed daily periods when Jin Huan practiced his cultivation and regulated his breathing, he would absorb true Sha, causing the surroundings to stir. The world's spiritual energy within a mile radius would churn like boiling water, affecting an area of ten miles. Displayed on the Zhaoshen Map, the landscape of that region almost seemed to ignite, forcing Lu Yang and the others to stay far away to continue their actions normally.

This also gave Yu Ci an opportunity to gather information. Over the past few days, he had identified everyone's identities. Besides Jin Huan, Lu Yang, and Kuang Yanqi, there were six accompanying guards and warriors, as well as Jin Huan's grandnephew, Jin Chuan. Jin Chuan was a year younger than Kuang Yanqi but also possessed Spirit 통 cultivation, and together with Kuang Yanqi, they were known as the twin stars of the Mansion's new generation of cultivators.

Jin Huan also placed great expectations on them. This trip, accompanying the two young men, seemed to be preparation for sending them to a sect's "mountain gate" for cultivation. Along the way, Yu Ci couldn't see Jin Huan himself, but he saw Lu Yang more than once telling the two young men how precious this opportunity was, saying, "The Mansion Lord said..."

Thinking back, Lu Yang's intention to have Kuang Zheng teach his own disciples before leaving also indicated early preparation.

As for that sect, it was called the Li Chen Sect.

This sect sounded unfamiliar, but judging by the importance Jin Huan and the others placed on it, it was clearly no ordinary one.

It was another period when Jin Huan was practicing his cultivation. Lu Yang checked the defenses of the accompanying warriors and returned to speak with the two young men. "We'll arrive in less than three hundred miles. The Mansion Lord's intention is for you to conserve your energy and rest here for a night. Tomorrow, you must present your best state and not disgrace Bai Ri Mansion."

Lu Yang spoke thus, and his disciple naturally obeyed with solemnity. However, as the Mansion Lord's grandnephew, Jin Chuan could ask a few more questions:

"I recall Uncle saying that the Li Chen Sect's mountain gate is near the source of the Li Luo River, a full seventy thousand miles from Juebi City. We've traveled for half a month, covering at most thirty thousand miles with our carriage traveling eighteen hundred miles a day. How have we arrived already?"

As the actual third-in-command of the Mansion, Lu Yang maintained only basic respect for this young master Sun. He smiled and said, "The Li Chen Sect's mountain gate is not somewhere ordinary people can enter. We cannot go directly; we must first go to their outer sect's Daoist temple, Zhixin Temple. Once we make contact there, we can ask the immortals on the mountain to come down and pick us up. However, in a few days, Young Master Sun will likely become the first outer sect cultivator from tens of thousands of miles around Juebi City to step into the Li Chen Sect's mountain gate."

Given Lu Yang's status, Jin Chuan, no matter how arrogant, dared not simply accept his flattery. He quickly smiled and said, "I travel with Senior Brother Kuang, so naturally, I will strive alongside him..."

While these people were exchanging pleasantries over there, unbeknownst to them, dozens of miles away, someone was observing their every move, missing nothing except their voices.

"Zhixin Temple?"

Yu Ci mused, but soon, he refocused his attention on the Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror in his hand.

At this moment, a gentle warmth spread through his body, like being immersed in warm water. The heat penetrated his pores, permeating his body inside and out. Then, under the guidance of his divine intent, it was channeled into the bronze mirror. He was currently refining the Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror.

Refining was a crucial step that cultivators in the cultivation world could not bypass. Treasures in the cultivation world were divided into magic treasures, magic artifacts, and crafted artifacts. Among these, magic treasures were the best, magic artifacts were second, and crafted artifacts were the lowest. Within these categories, there were further complex rankings.

Crafted artifacts, made solely by the hands of artisan masters, could be used immediately upon completion without any refining. Therefore, they were merely ordinary tools with limited power.

Magic artifacts and magic treasures, on the other hand, not only required considerable effort from artisan masters to forge but also demanded that the user fuse and hone them with their own essence, energy, and spirit over many years. Through this process, the user and the artifact became interconnected. Not only would they exhibit greater power in combat, but they would also grow together. Even the most ordinary artifact could mature into a treasure of astonishing power.

Take, for example, the golden saber and the jade saber that Ye Tu used successively in the Sky Rift that day. In reality, the materials used for both were not significantly different; both were incredibly sharp and tough, capable of slicing through iron. However, the former's power far surpassed the latter's, because Ye Tu had diligently refined it for a period during his travels, resulting in such a stark difference in their capabilities.

With such examples before him, how could Yu Ci dare to neglect the refining process?

The method of refining the Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror was peculiar, and the Zhaoshen Map played a very important role in it.

The refining incantation also included a method for activating the Zhaoshen Map, but it relied on the preceding ritual text, requesting the "Boundless Void Divine Lord" to activate it through the void. However, based on his years of experience as a charlatan, Yu Ci felt that there was more pretense and deception involved.

Although his method of activating the Zhaoshen Map was somewhat inexplicable, it was still more practical than the method of performing a shamanistic dance. Interestingly, within it, this image that permeated the void was also referred to as the "Zhaoshen Map," which was a coincidence.

Of course, the above were all minor details. The truly crucial aspect was the entire refining method that relied on the Zhaoshen Map, which truly opened Yu Ci's eyes and benefited him immensely.