Divine Phoenix Immortal Medicine

After learning that Jiang Zhu also carried Emperor Hengyu's bloodline, Jiang Taixu could not help feeling a sense of kinship with him.

"Your cultivation is so weak... how did you get in?" God King Jiang Taixu's puzzlement carried a trace of concern.

Jiang Zhu revealed his Great Saint Weapon.

"So that's how... what did you come here for?"

"I'd like to borrow the Source Heaven Book for a look." As he spoke, he looked toward the purple wall. "And I'd like to see the Hengyu Scripture, too."

Jiang Taixu understood why he had come. After a long silence, he took the Hundred Herb Liquid and simultaneously transmitted an ancient scripture and the Nine Secrets: Dou.

The ancient scripture was indeed the Hengyu Scripture, but it contained only the cultivation method, without the forbidden divine arts or weapon-refining methods.

"Since you are also a descendant of our imperial ancestor Hengyu, and you've given me such precious divine medicine, I can pass the Hengyu Scripture on to you. But only the cultivation method, and you must not share it with anyone!"

Jiang Zhu nodded in agreement. The cultivation section was enough. The Hengyu Scripture was hailed as humanity's strongest cultivation method for the Four Extremes Realm. Even if he did not cultivate it, he could use it to broaden his knowledge.

As for the forbidden arts and weapon-refining methods, he could take them or leave them. Emperor Hengyu had possessed unique attainments in weapon refining and had even been able to forge two Emperor Weapons.

Most ancient emperors and Great Emperors could only forge a single Emperor Weapon in their entire lives. An Emperor Weapon was not merely a symbol of strength; it also contained a Great Emperor's lifelong will and legacy, serving as an extension of his imperial life.

Such weapon-refining methods were important to major powers with established lines of succession, but they mattered much less to a lone man like him.

As for the Nine Secrets: Dou, now that he had obtained it, there was no way he would turn it down. He would cultivate it while he was at it.

Jiang Taixu refined that drop of Hundred Herb Liquid. A ceaseless stream of powerful medicinal energy poured forth, nourishing his depleted flesh, and the withered body reflected on the purple wall gradually began to fill out.

Seeing Jiang Taixu sink into deep cultivation to refine the medicinal liquid, Jiang Zhu left the purple wall and continued deeper into Purple Mountain.

The demonic summons from the depths of Purple Mountain grew ever stronger, pestering him beyond endurance. It no longer served to temper him; it was simply noise.

He activated the Glazed Glass Lamp to block the power of the demonic summons, then advanced several hundred zhang deeper into Purple Mountain, where he discovered a broken stone saber and a shattered stone disk.

These were probably left behind by Zhang Jiye, a descendant of a Source Heavenly Master who had met with disaster here a thousand years ago.

Primordial creatures were likely responsible. Zhang Jiye's movements had disturbed them, and they had broken out of their source to deal with the trouble.

Just then, an enormous creature was staring coldly at him from an ancient mine several dozen meters away.

It was half human and half snake. Black hair covered its entire human upper body, while its serpentine lower body was as thick as a water vat and dozens of meters long.

The instant this primordial creature appeared, it charged at Jiang Zhu, spreading its huge, black-haired hand like a winnowing basket as it clawed for his head.

A streak of golden flame flashed past in the next instant, reducing the primordial creature to ashes.

Afraid of awakening more primordial creatures, Jiang Zhu had activated the Great Saint Weapon to end the fight swiftly.

But he was still too late. The half-human, half-snake primordial creature had already sent out a signal the moment it saw the Saint Weapon.

A six-armed primordial creature abruptly appeared, savage killing intent surging from it. All six arms blazed in unison, and its immense power instantly slammed into the golden curtain of light hanging from the Great Saint Weapon.

Boom!

Its tremendous power was beyond compare, but it merely stirred tiny ripples on the golden curtain before dissipating completely.

Clang!

Just then, a bell tolled, as though cleansing the ages themselves. All sinister beings were suppressed, and the six-armed primordial creature before Jiang Zhu swiftly vanished.

The Wushi Bell had rung!

"What a pity!" He had wanted to see what bloodline it possessed.

Following the sound of the bell, Jiang Zhu entered a vast hall.

A lone skeleton lay on the floor. Beside it, a silver book gave off a cold, dim gleam, and a broken Stone Garment lay nearby.

This was Zhang Jiye, the Source Heavenly Master's descendant. Jiang Zhu picked up the silver book beside him.

The silver book was fashioned entirely from metal and contained roughly a hundred pages. It felt quite heavy in his hand, and three ancient characters were engraved upon it: Source Heaven Book.

Its opening laid out its meaning clearly. This was not merely a sacred book for finding source; it also expounded upon heaven, earth, and humanity, approaching the Dao through source, with the ultimate aim of achieving unity between heaven and humanity.

"Look upward to observe the images of heaven; look downward to observe the patterns of earth. Observe the markings of birds and beasts, and what suits the land..."

"Inner qi sprouts, outer qi takes form; the inner and outer act upon each other..."

"Qi disperses when borne upon the wind and halts when bounded by water. The ancients gathered it so it would not scatter and guided it so it would come to rest..."

"Above, it corresponds to the stars; below, it presents the lay of the land. Heaven and earth bring forth creation, and the movement of the trigrams establishes stability..."

Jiang Zhu fell silent. The Source Heaven Book covered an immense range of subjects, emphasizing the examination of mountains and rivers, the structure of the terrain, and changes in celestial signs. It touched upon yin and yang and the five elements, and even included methods of resonance between heaven and humanity. It was mystery upon mystery, obscure and difficult to understand.

But it felt less useful than the True Dragon Secret Art. When it came to harnessing earth veins, the True Dragon Secret Art overwhelmed the Source Heaven Book through sheer power. The Source Arts had a few tricks, but not many.

As for Source Formations, there was even less room for comparison. The True Dragon Heaven-Binding Formation within the True Dragon Secret Art could even bind the laws of heaven and earth.

Still, the Source Heaven Book's research into source had reached the pinnacle of mastery, and that was one of the reasons for his visit.

Jiang Zhu memorized the sections concerning source, then continued turning the pages.

Beneath every line on the final few pages was a line of smaller writing. Its script differed from the preceding text and had been added later.

"At the valley's center lies no valley, without form or shadow, without opposition or defiance. It dwells low and unmoving, holds to stillness without waning. Through it the valley takes shape, yet its form remains unseen..."

This was a life-nourishing art left by the Jade Pool Holy Maiden, the beloved confidante of Source Heavenly Master Zhang Lin. The Western Empress Scripture was currently acknowledged as humanity's strongest scripture for the Dao Palace.

This art of the Five Spirits was profoundly abstruse, on par with the Dao Scripture.

Jiang Zhu memorized it for reference.

Then a dragon claw extended from a fingertip on his right hand, and he inscribed a message on the Source Heaven Book's final page:

"Read it. Not bad."

He also left a claw print upon it, filled with Dao laws and containing a fragment of the Unarmed Technique from the True Dragon Secret Art, concerning the use of dragon qi within earth veins.

This fragment would serve as payment for reading the Source Heavenly Master's legacy.

He dug a pit in the ground and buried Zhang Jiye's remains, then erected a gravestone for him. "Rest here in peace."

Jiang Zhu left the hall, intending to search for the Divine Phoenix Immortal Medicine. Just then, the Wushi Emperor Jade at his waist shone, pointing in a certain direction.

Following the light's guidance, Jiang Zhu reached an open area. At a glance, he saw a stone book standing on the ground, more than ten meters long and one or two meters thick.

This was the Wushi Scripture. Outwardly, it was a gigantic stone book, impossible to open without either gathering all the Emperor Jade pieces or possessing an innate sacred body Dao embryo physique.

Behind the stone book stood an enormous Dao platform. All manner of spiritual herbs grew beneath it, lush and verdant, their radiance enhancing one another. Wisps of immortal qi occasionally drifted down from above. It was truly an immortal paradise in the mortal world.

An extraordinary fragrance greeted him, unique and transcendent, beyond worldly dust. It filled his entire body with ease, leaving him feeling as though he might float away into immortality.

On the Dao platform, a Little Immortal Phoenix spread its wings as if about to take flight. It was the Divine Phoenix Immortal Medicine, rooted upon the Dao platform left behind by Great Emperor Wushi.

Jiang Zhu's eyes lit up. The target of his journey had appeared. Now it was time to coax it away.