The old cultivator known as Eyeless had a peculiar obsession since birth. Whenever he saw an eye he fancied, he couldn't help but stop in his tracks, itching to dig it out and take it home as part of his collection.
Even though he had long since attained great cultivation, living through countless ages, fishing alone across the eons, slaying worlds and annihilating realms, he still found himself utterly captivated by Jing Qian's Three-Life Reincarnation Eye.
That eye was breathtakingly beautiful and unfathomably powerful. In all his journeys across myriad worlds, Eyeless had rarely encountered such a treasure.
Within his precious collection box, only his most cherished Grade-Two Demon Eye and a single Jehovah's Eye could compare to it in value.
Thus, his collector's obsession flared up uncontrollably, and he opened his mouth, intending to coax Jing Qian into handing over the eye.
But before he could speak, Jing Qian bowed deeply and said:
"Disciple submits entirely to Grandmaster's arrangements!"
As soon as he finished, the little three-eyed puppet stepped forward with a squeaky shuffle, reached into the eye box, and grabbed the Demon Eye in its tiny hand.
Eyeless's heart skipped a beat. For the first time in his life, beads of sweat appeared at the tip of his nose.
Then the puppet's hand swept again, fishing out the Jehovah's Eye, also known as the Eye of God, and clutching it tightly.
The value of those two alone already surpassed the Three-Life Reincarnation Eye.
Yet Jing Qian still wasn't finished. He reached in once more and pulled out a Grade-Two Maitreya True Eye before finally stopping.
He then said calmly:
"Disciple is not greedy. These three eyes will suffice. Grandmaster, you may take away my Three-Life Reincarnation Eye in exchange."
On the side, Eyeless stood frozen, his voice hoarse as he asked:
"You… truly mean to trade?"
At that moment, True Corn, watching from the side, burst out laughing so hard he trembled all over.
"Hahahaha! You brat, you really know quality when you see it!"
The next instant, both the eyes in Jing Qian's hand and the jade box vanished without a trace. Eyeless acted as if nothing had happened at all and asked evenly:
"You just said what was it you came here to ask of us?"
Jing Qian pouted slightly, looking somewhat disappointed.
Had Eyeless truly agreed to that exchange, with those three eyes of such exalted rank in his possession, Jing Qian wouldn't have hesitated for a single moment!
The Pure Yang Golden Eye could always be refined again, but chances like this to gain fortune so easily were rare indeed.
With the combined might of divine, demonic, and Buddhist eyes, what eye in the heavens could he not forge?
Yet Eyeless had treated him like some ignorant rustic, unaware of the terrifying potential when the Three-Life Reincarnation Eye was paired with the technique of Worldly Insight.
The trade had failed, but Jing Qian felt no true regret. The vast mana he expended to come before Eyeless had been for serious business.
He cupped his hands and said solemnly:
"I beg Grandmaster's judgment. This disciple's cultivation foundation is already sufficient, and I am about to condense my Dharma Body. Yet I fear my reserves of mana are not enough. I wish to request a decree from Grandmaster to enter the [Ghost Origin Hall] once."
"Though I was fortunate to obtain the Yanfu Dao inheritance, I have never truly stepped into the sect. Without the support of the order, I cannot advance further. I humbly ask for Grandmaster's guidance."
Eyeless nodded thoughtfully.
"The realms are no place for outsiders of Yanfu Dao. At present, within the entire Yingfutu World, it seems you alone remain as a true inheritor."
"In that case, you shall serve as acting sect master of Yanfu Dao."
"I grant you this decree, you may, at your will, call upon the heritage and resources of the sect within this world. Though little may remain, it will be more than enough to support your cultivation. Seek them out as you see fit."
With that, Eyeless raised a finger toward Jing Qian. A strange white bone earring descended, fastening itself to his left ear.
Jing Qian immediately bowed low in gratitude.
Do not underestimate this peculiar ornament, for in the deductions of the Three-Life Reincarnation Eye, without this earring, even a hundred attempts would never yield the perfect refinement of his Dharma Body.
At last, Eyeless spoke again:
"Cultivate quickly. Advance to the Star-Seizer Realm as soon as possible. You and I still have a grand opportunity to seize together."
"As for matters within this realm, fight for them if you can, but if you cannot, abandon them without hesitation."
"The vast myriad worlds beyond are the true battlefield where cultivators like us should ride forth!"
Jing Qian bowed once more, replying respectfully:
"Many thanks for Grandmaster's guidance. This disciple shall now take his leave."
He finished speaking, and his incarnation of karmic threads gradually unraveled, severing the link he had anchored to that Buddhist domain.
Seven years of lifespan spent just for a single meeting with Eyeless. The cost of this "video call" was truly astronomical.
At that moment, True Corn flicked out a strand of mana that flew into Jing Qian's hands. He said:
"I'll gift you a beacon of the Sea Realm. Have Good Corn practice refining the art of line-control with it when there's time.
"The realm's master is my elder brother. As long as you don't cast your hooks recklessly, my brother won't trouble you.
"If the two of you can even manage to intrude into the Sea Realm with ease, then your art of fishing the void can be considered at minor completion."
Jing Qian bowed low in thanks. His figure then dissolved completely and disappeared.
Only then did True Corn remark:
"This boy actually joined [Pure Yang Heaven]? With such a solid foundation in the [Ghost-Driving] lineage, he only needs one Grade-Two Ghost Emperor to climb the mountain early. Such a great opportunity and he's not rushing to seize it."
"Usually, it's [Pure Yang Heaven] stealing our people. When did we of Yanfu Dao ever manage to lure away one of their disciples?"
Eyeless only shook his head.
"What use is drawing such lines? We cultivators walk our own path. A sect's legacy is nothing more than scenery along the road. Why, I myself was a [Pure Yang disciple] for a few years. And what of it?"
…
Jing Qian finally closed the Three-Life Reincarnation Eye. Seven complete openings of the eye had drained forty-five years of his lifespan. If not for the decades he had "borrowed" off Blood Cang when he first entered the sect, he might not have endured it.
He reached up and touched the white bone earring on his left ear. His confidence in condensing his Dharma Body grew all the firmer. With a flash of movement, he vanished from Pure Yang Grotto-Heaven, reappearing before the Sword-Grinding Cliff.
When he emerged again on Ruin-Sword Mountain, he was surprised to find that the entire mountain had shrunk by a third. A metallic luster now gleamed on its surface, making it appear denser and more solid.
He bowed to Shang Xi, who sat cross-legged before the cliff, and said:
"Master, this disciple has had his name inscribed on the Pure Yang Sword Diagram, received the Dharma name Chixiao, and taken up the Pure Yang inheritance. I can now be considered a formal disciple.
I wonder what instructions Master may have for me?"
Shang Xi opened the Eye of Rebirth and Truth at his brow and gazed at Jing Qian. He said:
"My disciples of Pure Yang may communicate through the Pure Yang Golden Eye. Look upon my thoughts."
Jing Qian opened the Three-Life Reincarnation Eye just a crack and met the gaze of the Rebirth Eye. At once, a torrent of information surged into his mind.
He studied it briefly before replying:
"Master, your plan is truly bold. This disciple will fully cooperate."
"I shall go and condense my Dharma Body at once!"
Shang Xi nodded.
"Go swiftly and return swiftly. Once you have your Dharma Body, you may climb Hidden-Sword Mountain to claim a blade.
"Our Pure Yang Heaven still has some reserves. When the time comes, we'll burn enough mana for you to directly ascend to the Longevity Realm.
"If you remain at mere Dragon-Elephant cultivation, you won't even qualify for a seat at the table!"
"Disciple obeys!"
With that, Jing Qian flashed away, returning at last to the Void Realm after a long absence.
First, he went to Good Corn, handing over the Half-Day Sea Beacon gifted by its father. He instructed:
"Study this beacon of the Half-Day Sea well. When I've finished my tasks, we'll use it for practice."
Good Corn happily swallowed the beacon whole and began working away. At last, there was a new fishing ground, even if the fish couldn't be eaten, just the thrill of the catch was enough.
Afterward, Jing Qian sought out Xili and asked:
"How goes the matter in the Kitchen?"
"My lord, all is well. Lord Toad has staged quite the spectacle, using your [Calamity Hook-Kiss] spiritual construct to organize a grand Dharma Assembly.
"The assembly won't officially begin for three more months, yet already the Kitchen has grown lively."
Jing Qian nodded.
"Keep a close watch. I'm relying on this batch of Fate-Fire to burn into mana and break through my realm.
If I don't return on time, convert all the proceeds into Azure-Wing Fate-Fire on my behalf."
"Yes, my lord!"
Having settled the household matters, Jing Qian once again departed the [Void Realm].
But he seemed to have forgotten his little Talisman Sprite was still wandering the void, adrift and unattended.
Jing Qian had no time to worry. Every moment of delay in his advancement meant a weakening of Shang Xi's grand plan.
He cracked open the Three-Life Reincarnation Eye once more, projecting its gaze deep into the heart of the Yingfutu World.
Within sight appeared a vast and unfathomable core of primordial energy, revealed to his divine eye.
Then, combining the powers of the Bridge of No Return and the Sumeru Life Pattern, he flickered and reappeared directly within that energy core, standing before a towering White Bone Hall.
His mid-grade title, Lord of Myriad Phenomena and Sumeru, granted him extraordinary mastery over space.
Now, wherever his gaze could reach, he could consume mana to instantly teleport.
And with this ability paired with the Reincarnation Eye, he could even transmit himself across realms.
But his mana reserves were insufficient to sustain long-range teleportation. For now, he could only manage it within the bounds of the Yingfutu World.
Just flashing into position before the White Bone Hall had already consumed nearly seventy to eighty percent of his mana.
Even so, the time saved was invaluable. Who would ever imagine that the Pure Yang true disciple seen wandering Ruin-Sword Mountain only moments ago had now arrived at the gates of the [Ghost Origin Hall]?
Jing Qian stepped forward. The bone ring on his left ear shimmered, breaking through the heavy barrier of restrictive force.
Yet as soon as he entered, his path was forcibly obstructed.
It was as if he had plunged into a vat of molten rubber, enveloped in a thick, sticky substance that made every movement excruciatingly difficult.
Sensing it carefully, he realized with a start that this was no rubber at all, but vast amounts of primordial energy compressed to the extreme, forming into solid Primordial Energy Gel.
The Ghost Origin Hall was flooded with this terrifying substance, nearly drowning him alive in sheer energy.
This gel was an extraordinarily precious material. Though not high in rank, it was nearly impossible to acquire, and its uses were wide-ranging.
And Jing Qian had come here precisely to obtain energy. Without hesitation, he tore open a rift in the void and channeled the gel madly into the Void Realm.
At once, the immense tide of primordial energy erupted within. Inside, the cat and the corn spirit gaped in shock before throwing themselves into a frenzy, devouring.
The Ghost Origin Hall had always been the reservoir of the Yanfu Heaven grotto-world, stockpiling energy to burn for the Fate-Fires. Since the grotto collapsed three thousand years ago, it had sunk into the energy core, feeding yin-attribute energy to the realm.
For all these years, this was the very first time a disciple of Yanfu Dao had come here.
To Jing Qian, it was like a vast orchard heavy with ripe fruit, ready for harvest.
If he wished to burn his many life patterns to their limits and form a flawless Dharma Body, he needed oceans of energy. Without it, it would be impossible.
And throughout the entire Yingfutu World, there was no place more suited than this Ghost Origin Hall.
This was his destined ground of attainment, the reward owed to him as the inheritor of Yanfu Dao's karmic legacy.
The Void Realm absorbed energy for three whole hours before finally stopping, not because the Ghost Origin Hall had been emptied, but because the Void Realm itself was full.
Within it, Xili and Good Corn lay drunkenly asleep in the thick energy gel, like drunkards overcome with cheap wine.
The Void Furnace roared like oil on an open fire, blazing ever fiercer.
His Life-Furnace was advancing from the Blue-Blood rank to the Violet-Eyed rank, and the Void Realm's very foundation was soaring.
From the moment he entered the Ghost Origin Hall, Jing Qian's strength began accelerating rapidly.
Even after so much energy had been drained, the hall's concentration had only lessened slightly.
At last, he could move with some freedom.
Breaking through the dense energy, he reached the hall's depths, where a great black jade cauldron stood at the very center.
He placed his right hand upon it, and the bone earring on his left ear flashed, weaving its decree into the cauldron.
Soon, the black jade cauldron opened a sliver of authority to him, allowing him to glimpse its true nature:
Life-Furnace: Yanfu Ghost Cauldron
Rank: Second Grade
Anchored to: Sea of Primordial Qi, Soul-Dissolving Layer
It was a top-tier Life-Furnace directly linked to one of the layers of the Sea of Primordial Qi, able to draw Soul-Dissolving Energy as its source!
Yet for now, its full might lies dormant, unlit and unawakened.
Jing Qian immediately tried to activate it using his newly gained authority, but suddenly, a short, fat, well-fed snake wriggled out from the cauldron, startling him so badly he nearly attacked.
The pudgy snake opened its mouth and grumbled:
"Junior, don't you go stirring up your Snake-Grandpa. I've finally managed a few years of rest!"
"The Yanfu Dao's Life-Furnace cannot be lit. Otherwise, the mad dogs will come again, and they'll skin you alive and tear out your tendons."
This fat snake was the Furnace Spirit of the Ghost Cauldron. Round and plump, with drowsy eyes and little menace, it looked nothing like the formidable image expected of a second-grade Furnace spirit.
Jing Qian clasped his hands and said earnestly:
"Snake-Grandpa, this disciple must condense his Dharma Body. I urgently require a supply of mana and energy. Without the aid of this Ghost Origin Hall, I cannot succeed. This matter concerns my path of cultivation. I beg your pardon."
Having said that, he was prepared to force the activation through his authority.
"Wait!"
"Call out your own Furnace Spirit. I'll be generous and grant you a place in a Shadow Furnace instead. Go mess around with that.
My Furnace truly cannot be lit. I'm not lying to you!"
The fat snake slithered its whole body out, coiling atop the cauldron like a giant rubber tire.
Hearing this, Jing Qian thought for a moment, then summoned Xili, the black cat, from the Void Realm.
He smacked the little cat awake and tossed it before the fat snake.
Still bleary-eyed, the black cat looked up and instantly dropped to its knees.
"Grandfather above, please accept this humble cat's obeisance!"
Such a powerful Furnace Spirit had never once seen the like even within the great Kitchen Hall!
The fat snake turned to the black cat and said:
"Build a Shadow Stove beneath my cauldron. Since your master wants to draw on the energy, I'll allow you to borrow a channel."
The little black cat was instantly ecstatic!
Such fortune delivered straight to its paws?
So I'm the true child of destiny after all!
My luck is unmatched!
To plant a Shadow Stove beneath a second-grade great stove was like an abducted child discovering that his true parents were billionaires, an elevation of class and status on every level.
Xili didn't waste a single breath. At once, it stirred its secret art, condensed a Shadow Stove linked to the Void Furnace, and threw it beneath the Yanfu Ghost Cauldron.
Immediately, it yelped in surprise:
"Master! It's so crowded down here! Nothing but Shadow Stoves!"
"Stop yowling," Jing Qian snapped. "Snake-Grandpa will clear a place for you."
The fat snake flicked its tongue and muttered,
"Yanfu Dao disciples are as numerous as cattle, and every generation wants to squeeze under my belly for a spot. I'm exhausted by it.
You two are just lucky!
Otherwise, without offering me some Dragon Marrow or Phoenix Blood, how could you ever squeeze out a place here?"
As it spoke, the snake swung its tail, rummaging in the Ghost Cauldron's shadows.
With brute force, it carved out a gap amid the countless Shadow Stoves, wedging in the Void Furnace's Shadow Stove.
In an instant, a torrent of primordial energy poured through the new channel into the Void Furnace.
Inside the Void Realm, the furnace was already brimming with energy gel. With this added flood, it erupted like an explosion!
The entire Life-Stove burned scarlet. The Purple-Life Furnace, which should have taken time to evolve, achieved completion on the spot.
Not only that, but it continued to surge forward, ascending rapidly toward the rank of Titled Furnace at fifth grade.
As the stove spirit, Xili's cultivation also skyrocketed.
From sixth-grade Violet-Eyed, it rushed headlong toward the fifth-grade realm.
Within Jing Qian's spiritual essence, the Xili Divine Seal was the first to complete its ascension.
Then the fat snake spoke again:
"I'll help push this Life-Stove up to fifth grade.
Draw in a bit more energy gel, and that should be enough for your advancement.
You're a lucky brat. If [Sickly] ever saw your extravagance, he'd probably defect from the sect in rage!"
As it grumbled, the snake pulled out a small booklet, flipping through it with its tongue. "I'll write your name in the register now and make your induction official. Let's settle it all in one go.
Ghosts behold the Stove, and none may go unreborn.
You enter three thousand six hundred years after [Sickly], so you'll start from the **'No-Character' generation.
From today on, you are Yanfu Dao's true disciple, No Money!"
"I see you walk the [Ghost-Driving] path.
If you can, within the Longevity Realm, subdue a ghost of third grade or higher, you'll be granted the title of Yanfu Son.
Work hard! Yanfu Dao doesn't have the best reputation in the Northern Heavens. Best keep your head down and don't bother me too often."
With that, the fat snake withdrew into the Ghost Cauldron.
Jing Qian was left reeling from the stove spirit's barrage of moves.
What do you mean I'm "No Money"?!
No Eyes, Sickly, and now No Money, surely these ridiculous names were all just the fat snake's nonsense.
Compared to the lofty title Chixiao, this "No Money" sounded like absolute dogshit. In Jing Qian's heart, the scales tipped heavily back toward Pure Yang Heaven.
Still, the stove spirit had indeed gotten things done. With just a brief appearance, it had solved one of Jing Qian's biggest problems.
Now that he was formally inducted and his energy reserves sufficient, nothing more barred his path to condensing a Dharma Body.
Seating himself cross-legged in the Ghost Origin Hall, Jing Qian began his formal journey to forge the Dharma Body!
The first step is to fill the gaps in his Life Measure.
With the addition of the Six-Path Reincarnation Eye, five taels and nine qian of weight were covered.
Even counting the three yang-attribute Primordial Qi Life Patterns, which consumed more, he still faced an enormous shortfall.
Before condensing his Dharma Body, not a single qian of Life Measure could go to waste.
[Host: Jing Qian]
[Lifespan: 146 years]
[Life Measure: 6 taels 3 qian / 11 taels 3 qian]
[Life-essence: 516 × 10 (Blue-Wing)]
Five taels of Life Measure in total, Jing Qian already had a plan.
He burned sixty years of lifespan, invoking Heavenly Knowledge of Mandate, and drove his Sword Momentum Life Pattern to a new pinnacle.
Ten thousand streams of sword intent erupted from the void, flooding into his sea of consciousness.
One sword to break all laws.
One sword to give birth to all laws.
Within one sword, boundless paths were opened. A new Mandate was born:
Life Pattern: Three Thousand Tribulations of the Sword – Jing Qian
Rank: Unique Heavenly Life Pattern
The sword cleaves all beings. All beings must die.
The dead must return to the Netherworld. This is called Tribulation.
From the sublimation of Sword Momentum arose the Three Thousand Tribulations of the Sword, enhancing the full might of his sword-slashing power.
Both his great sword arts, Heaven-Splitting Tribulation and Six-Path Reincarnation Tribulation, were elevated into true Tribulations, their power beyond measure. He still had four taels and seven qian of Life Measure left.
Caring nothing now for the limit of his lifespan, he once again sacrificed a full cycle of sixty years, invoking Heavenly Knowledge of Mandate a second time. Leaving himself only twenty-six years of life as margin, Jing Qian had driven himself to the very brink of madness, taken to the extreme!
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