Artificial Cultivation

Roar— The Golden-Scaled Demon Crocodile let out a shrill scream as the scales covering its body began to melt under the searing heat.

Before long, the Golden-Scaled Demon Crocodile fell silent, and its corpse slowly began to dissipate as well.

Red Cloud put away the Firecloud Banner and reached toward the Golden-Scaled Demon Crocodile's corpse. A Sunflame Mystic Stone flew into his hand.

"Haha, my luck is pretty good. This Sunflame Mystic Stone is far superior in quality to the one at Heavenly Treasure Pavilion."

Red Cloud nodded in satisfaction. A Sunflame Mystic Stone had dropped from his very first kill—his luck was clearly excellent.

Come to think of it, that made sense. His true body was, after all, an Innate Divine Being, blessed with immense fortune.

Even as a mere incarnation sharing only a fraction of that fortune, he had already reached the pinnacle for most living beings of the Primordial World.

After putting away the Sunflame Mystic Stone, Red Cloud continued onward. Following the geographical coordinates Daoist Ziyuan had given him, he arrived at that hidden site where Sunlight Divine Water was produced.

This was a gorge within a lake, surrounded by towering underwater mountain ranges. It was difficult to spot from outside.

Red Cloud dove into the lake and swam toward the depths of the gorge. The farther down he went, the brighter the light became and the hotter the water grew, as though a sun lay beneath Sunfire Lake.

This place truly deserved to be called the Land of Sunbathing.

After swimming for an unknown length of time, Red Cloud crossed over a mountain and finally saw the Sunlight Divine Water within the gorge.

It was a pool of golden springwater resting quietly at the bottom of the gorge, giving off a faint golden radiance.

Some golden aquatic grass grew around the springwater, their blades adorned with droplets of crystalline water.

"This is Sunlight Divine Water?!"

Staring at the pool of Sunlight Divine Water, Red Cloud muttered excitedly. Daoist Ziyuan truly had not deceived him.

Those fifty thousand Flame Yang Stones had clearly been well spent.

Red Cloud then turned his gaze toward the aquatic grass beside the Sunlight Divine Water. These were no ordinary weeds, but Golden Crow Grass that grew alongside Sunlight Divine Water.

Golden Crow Grass had to be planted beside Sunlight Divine Water to survive. Otherwise, it would either wither or fail to reproduce.

Likewise, Sunlight Divine Water needed Golden Crow Grass beside it in order to accumulate in ever greater amounts. The droplets hanging from the Golden Crow Grass were actually Sunlight Divine Water that had yet to fully form.

Golden Crow Grass and Sunlight Divine Water accompanied and sustained one another. Neither could exist without the other.

Red Cloud then took out the Jade Dew Bottle, a Lesser-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, and carefully collected the Sunlight Divine Water. He did not dare touch it with his hands.

Sunlight Divine Water could wear away blood, essence, bones, and flesh. If one's physical body was not strong enough, they would surely melt into a puddle of rotten sludge.

Although Red Cloud's physical body had reached the indestructible Golden Immortal level, it might not necessarily be able to withstand it.

All things in existence nourished and restrained one another. Nothing was absolutely invincible; there was always something capable of countering you.

Though an indestructible physical body at the Golden Immortal level sounded formidable, it ultimately relied on the protection of laws.

In the Primordial World, only laws could contend with laws. Pure mana could never shake a law.

As a supreme divine substance, Sunlight Divine Water inherently possessed the power of laws. It could breach the law-based protection of the physical body and act directly upon one's flesh.

Red Cloud first collected three portions of Sunlight Divine Water. Each portion was the size of an infant's fist, radiating dense Sun Power and Sun Law like a tiny sun.

After putting away the Jade Dew Bottle, Red Cloud gathered three stalks of Golden Crow Grass and carefully stored them in a jade box.

"With these three portions of Sunlight Divine Water and Golden Crow Grass, I should be able to refine one Great Sun Divine Pill."

Red Cloud calculated inwardly. He was not absolutely certain he could refine a Seven-Turn Golden Pill either; his success rate was only around fifty percent.

Afterward, Red Cloud took out the Hundred Herbs Diagram and collected roughly a hundred portions of Sunlight Divine Water. The water level in that spring pool visibly dropped. He also collected more than a dozen stalks of Golden Crow Grass.

Red Cloud was not greedy. He left behind some Golden Crow Grass and Sunlight Divine Water so the site could restore itself.

Still, after Red Cloud's plundering, it would be impossible for this site to return to its former state without at least a hundred thousand years. After all, it was only a small production site.

If one collected a hundred portions of Sunlight Divine Water and a hundred stalks of Golden Crow Grass from a large production site, it would barely be affected, or only slightly so. But a small site might be directly drained dry.

The smaller the production site, the weaker its ability to bear risks. That was the underlying difference brought about by the scale effect.

"Phew, I hope this works!"

Within the Hundred Herbs Diagram, Red Cloud created a jade pond and placed the Sunlight Divine Water inside it, transplanting Golden Crow Grass all around it.

He wanted to see whether he could establish an artificial production site, one unrestricted by location or environment, where he could obtain Sunlight Divine Water and Golden Crow Grass in an endless stream.

Yet after experimenting, Red Cloud discovered that the Golden Crow Grass had not withered, but neither had it condensed any Sunlight Divine Water.

Not to mention producing seeds to reproduce. Clearly, Red Cloud's attempt at creating an artificial production site had failed.

"Seems like something is missing."

Red Cloud muttered to himself. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck his mind, and he realized what was lacking.

The sun. Though the Hundred Herbs Diagram simulated a sun, it was not the true supreme celestial body, the sun. Thus, the Golden Crow Grass could not gather Sun Power and Sun Law, and naturally could not form Sunlight Divine Water.

Once he understood, a trace of helplessness flashed across Red Cloud's face. Naturally, he could not seize the sun and put it inside the Hundred Herbs Diagram to serve as a lamp. Never mind whether he could accomplish such a thing—even if he could, the Hundred Herbs Diagram would be unable to withstand it.

The sun and moon had been transformed from the eyes of the great god Pangu. They were supreme celestial bodies, their status comparable to Primordial Saints. Even an Innate Supreme Treasure might not be able to trap a Hunyuan being, much less the Hundred Herbs Diagram, which was merely a Mid-grade Acquired Spiritual Treasure.

Red Cloud shook his head in disappointment. Just as he was preparing to leave, he suddenly sensed a powerful aura approaching. The newcomer's cultivation was at the peak Golden Immortal level.

"Enemy, not friend. Prepare for battle!"

Red Cloud's expression hardened as he took out the only one of his two offensive Innate Spiritual Treasures: the Lesser-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, Firecloud Banner.

Speaking of which, Red Cloud currently possessed five Innate Spiritual Treasures. The only Superior-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure was the Water Spirit Pearl, while the other four were Lesser-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures, such as the Jade Dew Bottle, Yi-Wood Pot, Firecloud Banner, and Life Orb.

Meanwhile, Red Cloud's true body did not even possess a single Innate Spiritual Treasure. It only had one accompanying Acquired Merit Supreme Treasure, the Heaven-Measuring Ruler of Primordial Chaos, and one Lesser-grade Acquired Merit Spiritual Treasure he had refined himself, the Illustrated Record of Literary Fortune.

The Water Spirit Pearl was a Superior-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, and Red Cloud did not dare use it lightly. Once it was exposed, he would be unable to keep it. The Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Tribes would all set their sights on him.

The Jade Dew Bottle, Yi-Wood Pot, and Life Orb were Spiritual Treasures better suited for assistance than attack. Used offensively, they were not even as useful as an Acquired Spiritual Treasure, so Red Cloud rarely took them out.

After counting them all up, Red Cloud had only the Lesser-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure Firecloud Banner available for battle.

A moment later, a golden figure rushed out from the depths of the gorge and appeared before Red Cloud.

It was a Water Beast resembling a Flood Dragon, its body stretching over a hundred thousand zhang. Golden scales covered its entire body, and a golden horn rose from its head, exuding overwhelming pressure.

"The overlord of Sunfire Lake—the Golden Flood Dragon."

Red Cloud's Primordial Spirit sensed the Heavenly Dao, through which he learned this Water Beast's information. It was the Water Beast known as the overlord of Sunfire Lake, a terrifying existence capable of launching beast tides.

The Golden Flood Dragon stared coldly at Red Cloud and spoke in human words, saying icily, "Daoist, this is my territory. You dare steal my Sunlight Divine Water?"

"Heh, your territory?"

Red Cloud chuckled softly. "Sunlight Divine Water is born of heaven and earth. Since when did it become your private possession?"