The Formation Diagram took shape, its radiance illuminating the Bamboo Grove.
"The Heavenly Purple Sash Scripture contains seven methods for refining a Treasure. The first lets water flow into a channel; the second subdues it by force; the third lets dripping water wear through stone; the fourth steals the heavens and swaps the sun; the fifth lets the virtuous claim it; the sixth follows the tide; and the seventh brings what is hidden into the light!"
Chen Cuo sat within the formation, the arcane method flowing through his mind as his gaze settled on the Little Gourd.
"This Gourd came with me and connects to Dream Marsh. I can enter it through a dream; its uses are endless, and its mysteries run deep. If I can refine it, I may resolve the confusion in my heart and gain a powerful aid. Besides, I carry it everywhere, and the Dreamscape answers my thoughts. Our minds are already linked. I should not use brute force, nurture it alone, resort to Deception against its spirit, or destroy its wonders. I should bring our hidden connection into the open and take hold of it. That means the seventh method: bringing what is hidden into the light! And if it truly harbors some danger, that danger will reveal itself while I refine it into my bonded Treasure. Once the bond forms, harm to one means harm to both; any hidden danger would hardly let me succeed. Even if I fail at the last step, I'll at least have ruled out one danger and reduced the unknowns around me."
Amid the shimmering light, he pointed one hand at his heart. Firelight rose in his eyes. With a flick of his finger, a spark of True Fire flew into the formation. The Formation Diagram turned Scarlet at