Four formation diagrams: the Dao Palace unfolds the five elements, the Four Extremes develops the Four Symbols, yin and yang transform the dragon, and the chaotic Immortal Platform (double-length chapter)

He watched the pursuing enemies slowly burn to ashes.

Qin Tian turned and walked into the Fire Domain, radiant and high-spirited, carrying himself as though there were nowhere in this vast world he could not go.

But shortly afterward... a ball of fire shot out from inside the Fire Domain.

"Hot, hot, hot!"

That ball of fire was Qin Tian. He had barely reached the third layer before he could no longer endure it. Flames engulfed him, nearly roasting him into charcoal. Had he not used an array formation to transfer the surrounding heat into the Divine Mark Purple Gold, he might not even have made it out.

Qin Tian extinguished the flames on his body and changed into fresh clothes. His face had been scorched black, and his glossy black hair had become limp and bedraggled.

Qin Tian sighed helplessly. "I almost forgot that Ye Fan has the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body. His extraordinary physique was what let him enter the Fire Domain while still in the Sea of Bitterness realm."

As an essential stop in Shrouding the Heavens, the Fire Domain was somewhere you absolutely had to visit for Artifact Refining, even if you skipped the Great Thunderclap Temple on Mars.

Who didn't stroll into the Fire Domain unhindered, even dropping by its tenth layer to check in and tease the so-called "immortal fire"?

After reading so many fanfictions like that, Qin Tian had come to underestimate the Fire Domain's dangers.

He had completely forgotten that he was merely a minor Divine Bridge cultivator with an ordinary physique, utterly incapable of withstanding the Fire Domain's heat.

"What am I supposed to do? The flames in the first three layers can't melt Divine Mark Purple Gold!" Qin Tian rubbed between his brows with a headache.

He had gone to such lengths to reach the Fire Domain and planned to undertake Artifact Refining.

Yet now, he could not even get inside.

"Hmm, perhaps I could try this." Qin Tian stroked his chin, thinking.

"Although its original material was mundane..." Qin Tian took a wooden tablet out of his Bitter Sea and stroked it. "It's connected to the founding patriarch. Even the most ordinary thing shouldn't be ordinary anymore, right?"

The Bronze Ring the Ruthless Great Emperor wore close to her had originally been a trinket her elder brother fashioned for her from an ordinary piece of bronze.

But it was her most treasured possession. Having worn it for countless years, she had nourished it with her Great Emperor divinity, and it had long since become a rare treasure.

Later, it even absorbed the essence of an immortal artifact, transforming decay into wonder, changing its material structure, and evolving into an immortal artifact itself.

The wooden tablet in Qin Tian's hand was the same, possessing a similar effect.

Anything connected to an Immortal Emperor, even if it had absorbed only the slightest trace of that concept, was an object close to the Dao.

An Immortal Emperor at the end of the path was no longer human, but the embodiment of a particular Great Dao. Anything connected to such a being could be considered an object close to the Dao.

At least, Qin Tian had tried striking the wooden tablet with Divine Mark Purple Gold and had failed to knock off even a splinter.

It had originally been an ordinary object Qin Tian carved from wood. Now, perhaps even an Emperor Weapon might not be able to smash it.

"Founding patriarch, bless me!" Hugging the wooden tablet, Qin Tian charged into the Fire Domain again. This time, he easily passed through its first three layers.

The Fire Domain's heat could no longer hurt Qin Tian, as insubstantial as flowers in a mirror or the moon reflected on water.

Qin Tian rushed all the way to the sixth layer. Everywhere he looked, purple flames filled the ground.

Qin Tian carefully drew out some purple fire, not daring to take much. With his divine power, he extracted only a wisp.

"Hiss, hiss."

At that moment, the wisp of purple vapor began to dance. It actually ignited his divine power, rapidly consuming it. In mere moments, the purple fire had burned his divine power away completely.

Qin Tian closed his eyes, contemplating the purple flame's peculiar ability to burn divine power. "Impressive!"

"It can actually dissolve divine power. As expected of the purple qi comes from the east flame."

"This property is a little like the Golden Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame from Battle Through the Heavens."

Qin Tian walked a little farther, arriving at the boundary of the seventh layer.

Different mists began appearing in this region. Wisps of five-colored mist permeated the space, radiating terrifying fluctuations that made his heart tremble.

In the Fire Domain's seventh layer, hazy five-colored clouds lay ahead. They did not resemble flames at all, looking more like immortal qi. Though they appeared incomparably peaceful, they made his heart pound and even his soul shudder.

Qin Tian drew out another wisp of five-colored cloud to comprehend the wonders contained in the seventh layer's flames. This time, the instant his divine power touched the cloud, it ignited and burned away completely, leaving nothing behind.

His cultivation was still a little too weak.

"I'd better return to the sixth layer."

With Shi Hao's wooden tablet, he feared no flames. But to use them for Artifact Refining, he had to draw the flames into his body.

His divine power alone could not draw in the seventh layer's flames. It would burn away before they even entered his body.

Qin Tian returned to the sixth layer, took out the Enlightenment Tea Tree paper, and pressed it over his heart. His mind grew tranquil as he began pondering his future Great Dao.

The "artifact" resting between his Life Spring and Bitter Sea also flew out.

The originally rough "artifact" had become smooth and refined under the polishing of life and death qi.

An "artifact" had to be forged within the body. Only then could it merge and harmonize with its owner. There was no other way; only this could unleash its greatest power.

"To refine formation diagrams, I'll use Divine Mark Purple Gold as the material and transform the diagrams into dao patterns, merging them into the artifact." Qin Tian held up the tip of the Divine Mark Purple Gold Pagoda.

"That will let me deploy formations anytime, anywhere, and bring out their greatest possible power."

Qin Tian stroked his chin with his other hand, feeling conflicted. "So, four formation diagrams? What kinds should I inscribe to ensure they unleash their greatest potential when they finally unite?"

"Should I refine earth, wind, water, and fire separately, then combine them into a Four Symbols formation diagram?"

"With the Fire Domain's power, refining a fire formation diagram would certainly yield twice the results with half the effort."

Qin Tian said, "But isn't its potential a little too limited?"

Qin Tian blinked, his eyes sparkling. "Whether I can pull it off or not, the concept has to be grand. If I'm going to boast, I have to boast to the heavens."

"What if I actually achieve it?!"

"Aim for one and gain two; aim for two and gain three. I understand that principle." Qin Tian slapped the Divine Mark Purple Gold and returned it to his Bitter Sea.

Qin Tian exhaled a breath of stale air. "The first formation diagram concerns my future path. It's absolutely crucial, so I must consider it carefully."

"The Four Symbols, yin and yang, the five elements, chaos?"

"Or perhaps time and space?"

Qin Tian sat cross-legged in the Fire Domain, holding the wooden tablet. Not a single flame could approach him, as though he had become an emperor among flames.

Qin Tian pondered carefully. This concerned his future path and demanded thorough consideration.

The sun rose and the moon set. A day passed.

The Fire Domain at night was no different from during the day. Its flames released light and heat, illuminating the surroundings.

Qin Tian remained motionless, holding the Enlightenment Tea Tree paper Cao Yusheng had left behind, thinking and questioning his own heart.

He had to consider not only his future path, but also the opportunities he might be able to use in the future.

"The five elements, the Four Symbols, yin and yang, chaos!"

"As expected, this sequence is the most suitable!" Qin Tian opened his eyes.

The light in Qin Tian's eyes grew brighter. "The five elements open and circulate within the Dao Palace Secret Realm. The mysteries within can serve as the foundation for the five elements formation diagram."

"The next three major realms correspond perfectly to the remaining three diagrams. The Four Extremes and Four Symbols evolve the four spiritual beings of heaven and earth, linking to the power of the Great Dao. Yin and yang transform the dragon; a dragon can grow large or small, like Mount Sumeru within a mustard seed, corresponding precisely to the Dragon Transformation Nine Changes. Finally, the chaotic Immortal Platform... hmm... I need to think that part through carefully!"

Qin Tian paused, then said, "Hmm, the yin-yang formation diagram could also incorporate some of the profound principles of the Life Spring and Bitter Sea."

"From each secret realm, I'll obtain a trace of its profound principles to evolve a great formation and forge a 'formation artifact.'"

There could be no stronger foundation for a formation diagram than a trace of the Immortal Emperor Scripture's profound principles transformed into a formation. When it became an Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon in the future, it might not leap straight into becoming an immortal artifact, but its strength would stand a sheer cliff above other Emperor Weapons of the same rank.

The Desolate Heaven Emperor had once said, "Do you want my treasures? Go, search for them! I've hidden all my treasures within the secret realm cultivation method."

Thus began the age of the secret realm cultivation method!

Qin Tian immediately put his plan into action, drawing in the purple immortal fire to melt the three-tiered Divine Mark Purple Gold Pagoda.

Drops of purple molten essence fell onto Qin Tian's "artifact," radiating mysterious fluctuations like the legendary blood of the Heavenly Dao.

Watching the artifact take shape bit by bit, Qin Tian began preparing to construct his own first formation.

Although Qin Tian had yet to comprehend the Dao of the five elements.

The Dao of the five elements encompassed all things and existed throughout heaven and earth. Everything acquired after birth belonged to the five elements. They could be called the foundation of all acquired existence, visible everywhere and not difficult to comprehend.

Qin Tian first used an array formation to extract the Fire Domain's rules and began comprehending fire among the five elements.

This environment was exceptionally well suited to comprehending the profound principles of fire. Almost every layer was an embodiment of the Great Dao of fire.

With the Enlightenment Tea Tree paper's help, he achieved twice the results with half the effort. Soon, Qin Tian raised his five fingers, and a flame kindled at one fingertip.

Threads of mysterious fluctuations appeared at his fingertip. Those were the laws of fire. Crimson light drifted, with a faint aura capable of burning the heavens and boiling the seas surging within it.

Earth was easy. Qin Tian recalled his mining experiences. He had spent three years within the earth veins and encountered no fewer than several thousand different kinds of earth-vein auras. All of this was accumulated knowledge lying dormant in his heart. Once he needed it, comprehension came naturally.

The laws of earth condensed on his second finger, exceptionally clear and almost tangible, resembling an endlessly extending Dragon Vein carrying vast power of the earth. They were far stronger than his laws of fire.

Under Qin Tian's guidance, the law powers at his two fingertips collided. When earth and fire intertwined, what they produced was not necessarily lava; it could also be "metal."

Tempering the treasures of earth with fire could yield steel. Steel was an embodiment of "metal," the product that best represented it. Thus, a pure white light emerged on his third finger. The qi of geng metal surged, killing intent lurking on every side and sweeping straight through the nine heavens.

The remaining wood and water were also easy.

Just as Qin Tian had said, the five elements encompassed all things. They also existed within the human body, though he could not yet uncover those particular five elements.

Qin Tian roused human vitality, using his own vital essence as a reference to condense the vitality of wood.

Water, the last element, was even easier to obtain. With four of the five elements gathered, Qin Tian actively set their cycle in motion, and water was naturally born. Its waves surged, embracing all things and capable of destroying all things as well.

At this point, all five elements were present.

"The five elements formation diagram is the easiest to condense. The Heavenly Dao's principle of the five elements' cycle is the best formation!" Qin Tian inscribed the formation diagram onto the "artifact" while tempering it.

The formation diagram slowly unfolded, merging with the Divine Mark Purple Gold and releasing dazzling purple immortal light, incomparably noble. The dao traces within the Divine Mark Purple Gold began flowing like the blood of the Great Dao.

"Begin forging!" Qin Tian's gaze sharpened.

Purple flames surged. He tempered with his heart and forged with his spirit, his mind intensely focused like a bow drawn taut.

Divine fire burned, and the immortal gold shone brilliantly, radiating a hazy glow beneath the purple flames. The "artifact" gradually fused more thoroughly with the immortal gold.

One day, two days... after seven days, metallic clangs rang out, as though he were truly forging iron, carrying far into the distance. After the first formation diagram took shape, he followed the same process for the other two, forging divine patterns into "artifacts," merging them with immortal gold, and crafting them together.

Finally, three ancient diagrams flew out of Qin Tian's Bitter Sea and slowly unfolded, purple halos flowing across their surfaces, extraordinarily noble.

Their patterns resembled traces of the Great Dao. Faintly, they carried a sense of perfection, as though the Heavenly Dao had returned to unity and all things were newly born.

"There's still one 'artifact' left. I'll step straight into the Other Shore realm and forge the final formation diagram."

Qin Tian took out a piece of pure source. Rich vital essence poured into every limb and bone, leaving his entire body wonderfully comfortable and clear, radiating a faint luster. All his depleted divine power was replenished at once.

With everything ready, Qin Tian prepared to break through into the Other Shore realm.

But at that moment, an unexpected change occurred. Everything before him became hazy. Wherever he looked, it was the same. His eyes, touched by the essence of time and space, could no longer see anything, as though he had lost his way.

"It's here! The fog before reaching the Other Shore!" Qin Tian was not surprised. He had anticipated it long ago.

He had cultivated through the Divine Bridge Realm so quickly that the fog of lostness had not even had time to descend.

He had invested a head-sized piece of divine source. Even though most of it had been used as fuel to activate Future Sight, what remained was enough to cultivate his Divine Bridge to perfection. That stretch of Divine Bridge was brilliant, dazzling, and crystal clear.

After all, even someone with the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body needed only one piece of pure source to cultivate a Divine Bridge, let alone Qin Tian with his ordinary physique.

Driven by the immense divine substance, his Divine Bridge had reached perfection in the blink of an eye, radiant, dazzling, and flawless.

Once Divine Bridge cultivation reached a certain level, a cultivator explored the mysteries of the human body, seeking to transcend the Bitter Sea and cultivate a heavenly meridian before gaining passage to other secret realms.

Reaching the Other Shore was the foundation for escaping this predicament. This was the Divine Bridge Realm, an exceptionally crucial threshold.

But as the heavenly meridian grew and spanned the void, where exactly did it have to extend to reach the Other Shore? Some people spent their entire lives unable to see through illusion, trapped at this end of the Divine Bridge and unable to cross the Bitter Sea.

This was the so-called calamity of lostness!

Qin Tian had cultivated through the Divine Bridge Realm too quickly. Before the calamity of lostness could arrive, he had already cultivated his Divine Bridge to perfection.

Now that he was stepping toward the Other Shore, his Divine Bridge reaching into the heavens as he sought the next secret realm, the calamity of lostness naturally arrived.

His five senses grew increasingly numb, and his spiritual perception was about to vanish. It was as though his whole being had been sealed away. He could not hear, could not see... he was like a deaf man, like a blind man.

There was no up or down, no left or right, no front or back.

Outside, a faint clear light shone from somewhere unknown. The next moment, his eyes involuntarily lit up. Time and space collided here, and light filled his vision. His five senses returned to his control.

When the light faded, Qin Tian stood alone, rooted to the spot in a daze. The clamor of vehicles reached his ears, and traffic flowed all around him.