The Second Divine Ability's Composition, Visiting the Chu Clan

"The improvement wasn't that great."

Zhang Yuan closed his eyes to sense the imago contained within the [Iron Chain Baleful Force]. A Trapping Dragon Cord condensed in his palm, and he shook his head slightly.

The [Iron Chain Baleful Force] could only restrain people. It had little killing power and no other effects. Compared with the Earthly Baleful Forces he had refined before, its contribution to his combat strength was negligible.

Although the Earth Dragon formed by the [Iron Chain Baleful Force] had looked formidable, that was because the chains had been imbued with dragon aura. Now that the Earth Dragon had been subdued and the iron chains extracted separately, only the imago of the [Iron Chain Baleful Force] remained.

"Master, why did my fourth Earthly Baleful Force have to be the [Iron Chain Baleful Force]?" Zhang Yuan asked, raising his eyes.

The [Iron Chain Baleful Force] was indeed his fourth Earthly Baleful Force, but he had not necessarily needed to refine it. If he could find another Earthly Baleful Force, refining that would have worked just as well. At most, he would have needed to pay some attention to the proportions.

Xiao Yuanjun had clearly exhausted herself. She was sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed, resting her mind. Only when she heard his question did she slowly open her eyes.

Although she had been no match for a Heavenly Being and had fled in disgrace, her gaze remained confident, her spirit undimmed.

"I intend to personally compose a divine ability for you. The [Iron Chain Baleful Force] is its most important Earthly Baleful Force," Xiao Yuanjun explained.

To attain the rank of Foundation-Building Heavenly Being, one had to pass three trials. She had already passed the first, the [Beggar Trial], while the second was the [Disciple Trial].

This trial was neither entirely easy nor entirely difficult.

It was easy because it only required teaching a disciple, yet difficult because differences in disciples' talents and temperaments introduced enormous uncertainty.

If a disciple had poor aptitude and could not reach nine-turn Qi Refining early, passing this trial would remain a distant prospect, requiring a great deal of time. If a disciple had good aptitude but an evil nature, they might betray their master and destroy their own lineage.

As the disciple she had chosen for this trial, Zhang Yuan had reasonably good aptitude and temperament. Even so, she still felt his progress was too slow and needed to take a certain shortcut.

And that shortcut was Zhang Yuan's second divine ability!

"Deliberately compose a divine ability?" Zhang Yuan asked, puzzled.

The proportions of Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Baleful Forces affected a divine ability's effects. Even so, the same three Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Baleful Forces could produce divine abilities with distinct differences.

Yet judging by Xiao Yuanjun's words, she seemed to have already determined the effects of his second divine ability. All that remained was to gather the required Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Baleful Forces.

"Indeed. You've already refined the [Iron Chain Baleful Force]. Next, you'll need a [Linked-Chain Baleful Force] and a [Shared-Lifeforce Baleful Force]. I already have leads on both," Xiao Yuanjun said with a nod.

"You and Dongfang Caibai are now tied to the same boat. Barring any surprises, tomorrow's wedding should cause a [Shared-Lifeforce Baleful Force] to resonate and manifest. You can simply capture and refine it then. As for the [Linked-Chain Baleful Force]..."

"If I remember correctly, there's one in the Western Bian Chu's residence in the Capital City. We just need to find a way to get it."

At this point, Xiao Yuanjun suddenly fell silent.

If she had not acted today, she could have simply slipped into the Chu Residence and taken the [Linked-Chain Baleful Force]. But now that she had acted, her identity had probably been exposed. Trying to infiltrate the Chu Residence at this point would be fraught with difficulties.

"Why not pay them a visit directly?" Zhang Yuan suggested.

As long as he was valuable to the Chu Clan's True Lord—and valuable enough—he believed trading for a [Linked-Chain Baleful Force] would not be much of a problem, just as he had obtained the [Golden Carriage Baleful Intent] from Dongfang Caibai.

Benefits were something one had to strive for oneself.

Meanwhile.

In the gardens of the Chu Residence in the Inner City.

Li Huixi walked ahead, with Li Zhongshuang, who had removed her cloak, following behind.

"Zhongshuang, I prepared the [Iron Chain Baleful Force] for you. Now that it's been lost like this, do you harbor any resentment?" Li Huixi asked.

His claim that the Eastern Bian Li Clan had reserved the [Iron Chain Baleful Force] had certainly not been empty words. If Li Zhongshuang had fought for it with Li Houjin overseeing the battle, her chances of securing it would have been at least ninety percent.

But he was rather puzzled. Even as the [Iron Chain Baleful Force] was taken away, Li Zhongshuang had not unleashed a single divine ability, as though she had given up on it.

"I harbor no resentment. I merely failed your arrangements, Little Ancestor. Please forgive me," Li Zhongshuang said calmly.

Li Huixi was baffled.

Even a clay Bodhisattva had a few sparks of temper. Was Li Zhongshuang made of stone, to feel no resentment after losing two Earthly Baleful Forces in a row?

Had it been him, he would have long since traced the karma, intercepted Zhang Yuan on the road, given him a thorough beating, and snatched the [Iron Chain Baleful Force] back.

"Forget it. Come meet someone with me," Li Huixi said, shaking his head.

Li Zhongshuang followed in silence.

The [Supreme Unity Heavenly Dipper] formed from Zhang Yuan's Immortal Spiritual Root was exceedingly rare. Never mind two Earthly Baleful Forces—even three could not compare with its value.

Following a path through the gardens, the two arrived before a pavilion.

An old Daoist stood inside, dressed in a Daoist robe and holding a fly-whisk.

The old Daoist offered a formal Daoist bow. "My greetings, Lesser Sovereign."

Li Huixi gave a slight nod.

"This lower cultivator of the Li Clan pays her respects to the True Lord," Li Zhongshuang said, respectfully returning the greeting.

The old Daoist was the Golden Core True Lord stationed in the Capital City by the Western Bian Chu—the [True Lord Xuanqing Tianhua].

As for why he, despite also being a True Lord, had offered the first greeting and addressed Li Huixi as "Lesser Sovereign," she knew a little of the reason.

It was because Li Huixi was exceptionally powerful among Golden Core True Lords, belonging to the strongest echelon. In the Azure Sky Dust-Stained Realm, he was known as the "Heaven-and-Earth Lesser Monarch."

Simply put, Little Ancestor Li Huixi had become too powerful to be addressed by his Daoist name.

True Lord Xuanqing Tianhua had kindly brows and benevolent eyes. "Is this your disciple, Lesser Sovereign?"

"Not my disciple. Merely a junior of the clan with the potential to become a True Lord," Li Huixi said, denying it.

No one qualified to become his disciple had yet been born beneath heaven. Even Li Zhongshuang, whose talent was quite impressive, did not make the cut.

Hmm... there is one person who barely qualifies.

Li Huixi suddenly thought of Zhang Yuan's master.

Through her own comprehension alone, she had grasped the path to tenth-turn Qi Refinement and a fourth divine ability. Xiao Yuanjun's talent and insight could already be described as defying heaven.

Unfortunately, she had ultimately strayed down the wrong path. However great her talent and insight, she had applied them in the wrong place.

True Lord Xuanqing Tianhua nodded slightly, then withdrew his gaze.

These were flourishing times, and more and more juniors possessed the potential to become True Lords. Li Zhongshuang did not warrant too much of his attention. Having that potential was one thing; actually attaining the rank of True Lord was another.

"The Demon Empress's daughter is marrying tomorrow. What do you intend to do, Lesser Sovereign?" True Lord Xuanqing Tianhua asked.

Li Zhongshuang's ears twitched slightly.

She had also heard that the Third Princess had chosen Zhang Yuan as her consort.

Of course, she did not care whether Zhang Yuan was the Princess's Consort. At most, she had been a little curious and made a few inquiries. After all, given how the clan head had treated Zhang Yuan, the supposed marriage agreement with the Li Clan had long since been broken by their own actions.

"It's simple. We'll just steal the bridegroom," Li Huixi said, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Li Zhongshuang's eyes shifted slightly.

True Lord Xuanqing Tianhua was just about to nod when his expression froze.

So we're still going to steal the bridegroom in the end... wait, steal the bridegroom?

That's not right. Couldn't we simply kill the Princess's Consort tomorrow?

"Steal the bridegroom?" True Lord Xuanqing Tianhua asked in confusion.

"There's something you don't know, fellow Daoist. This Third Princess's Consort actually entered into a marriage agreement with our Eastern Bian Li Clan long ago," Li Huixi said.