One day later, within the miniature realm opened by Chen Sheng.
The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was somewhat chaotic, with a faint spiritual mist floating in the air. In the distance stood a divine peak glowing with five-colored radiance, which was the center of the miniature realm.
Chen Sheng stood on the open ground in front of the divine peak, his expression calm yet with a hint of seriousness, clearly well prepared for investigating the stone bead.
He flicked his finger lightly, and a splendid five-colored light instantly appeared at his fingertip, slowly gathering in the air. A palm-sized, intricately patterned small cauldron emerged — the "Five-Colored Dust Transformation Cauldron".
As soon as the pill furnace appeared, it expanded in the wind, growing into a giant cauldron about ten feet high within a few breaths. Streams of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth constantly flowed around the cauldron.
A faint humming could be heard from inside the cauldron, and an indescribable attraction emanated from it.
In the next moment, the Five-Colored Dust Transformation Cauldron slowly flew towards the five-colored divine peak at the center of the miniature realm, landing steadily at the peak's summit.
The moment the cauldron met the divine peak, five thick pillars of spiritual energy erupted from the peak, connecting with the five energies inside the cauldron, instantly linking the power of the earth veins within the miniature realm.
Simultaneously, the surrounding void quivered slightly, the intangible void power gathering like a tidal wave, blending with the earth vein spiritual energy and the five energies in the cauldron, forming a semi-transparent shield around Chen Sheng.
The shield surface shimmered with flowing light, faintly revealing the silhouettes of mountains, rivers, the sun, moon, and stars, exuding an indestructible aura that isolated any potential danger from the outside world.
Within Chen Sheng's mind sea, the previously awakened "Four Symbols God-Sealing Seal" and Beidou Seven Stars Map still emitted a faint glow.
The barriers formed by the four-colored halos and scattered starlight grew more solid, safeguarding his sea of consciousness with utmost precision, ensuring that his spirit wouldn't be disturbed in the slightest while investigating the stone bead.
"Appear!"
Chen Sheng uttered a low shout, his palm moving slightly as the mysterious gray stone bead flew out from the storage ring, floating stably in mid-air before him.
Een lepel voor het slapengaan, en de wormen zullen binnen een dag uit het lichaam verdwijnenOpen
Immediately, Chen Sheng's sleeve flicked sharply, with a "swish", seventy-two three-inch long array banners spilled out from his sleeve.
Each array banner was cyan-gold, with complex array patterns drawn on the surface, and a small spirit bead embedded at the top, emitting a faint spirit light as soon as they flew out.
The array banners circled in the air, as if they had a life of their own, scattering according to specific positions, with seventy-two array patterns spilling from the banners to weave an invisible net.
Meanwhile, Chen Sheng spat out a mouthful of seven-colored radiance, which condensed in mid-air to form a three-foot-long flying sword — his lifebound spiritual treasure "Tingyu Sword".
On the sword blade, lights of red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple constantly flowed, with dense rain patterns carved on the blade. It emitted a crisp sword hum as it gently trembled.
The seven-colored flying sword transformed into a stream of light upon appearing, instantly merging into the array pattern net in the air.
With the sword's integration, the array pattern net suddenly lit up, countless seven-colored lights erupting from the patterns, evolving into the myriad forms of the mortal world — bustling cities, noisy markets, the joys and sorrows of human life, and the emotional fluctuations of love and hatred.
At the same time, divine lights of seven colors rose from the array, corresponding to the emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, and desire. Within the divine lights, wisp-like illusionary tribulation energies intertwined, creeping like venomous snakes within the array.
"Seven Emotions Destruction Array, activate!"
Chen Sheng rapidly formed seals with both hands, uttering another low shout.
As his words fell, the array pattern net in the sky suddenly contracted, transforming into a massive seven-colored curtain that enveloped the gray stone bead floating in the air.
On the seven-colored curtain, the myriad forms of the mortal world and seven emotions divine light surged continuously, with illusionary tribulation energies flooding towards the stone bead like a tide, beginning to permeate its surface inch by inch, attempting to annihilate any primordial spirit or soul within, to uncover the true secret of this mysterious stone bead.
...
Ten years passed by quietly in the miniature realm opened by Chen Sheng.
The five-colored divine peak within the small realm still shimmered with radiance, and the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was more abundant than ten years ago.
Chen Sheng sat cross-legged on a meditation mat before the divine peak, surrounded by a faint golden mana aura. Ten years of meditation had made his aura increasingly stable, and although his mana had only slightly increased, it had gained a sense of harmony and transparency.
At this moment, he held the gray stone bead steadily in his palm. Its surface was still rough, but after ten years of immersion, it now had a faint, gentle luster.
During these ten years, Chen Sheng never ceased his investigation and refinement of the stone bead.
He had once activated the Five-Colored Dust Transformation Cauldron with the cultivation of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, drawing the power of the miniature realm's earth veins to repeatedly temper the stone bead. He had also operated the "Concentrating and Purifying Mind Technique" multiple times, protecting his sea of consciousness with the Beidou Seven Stars Map, attempting to pierce through the bead's restriction with his strongest divine sense.
Yet, no matter what methods he used, the stone bead remained as unyielding as a stubborn rock, with any contact from his divine sense being rebounded by a warm yet resilient force, unable to pry open even a single seam.
However, a decade of attempts were not without accomplishments. He essentially ruled out the possibility of the bead containing a primordial spirit.
One must understand, the Seven Emotions Destruction Array he set was a Tier Four Array, further empowered by the full support of the void power from the miniature realm. If the bead indeed contained a primordial spirit that could withstand ten years of refinement, Chen Sheng couldn't even fathom the other party's divine techniques and could have been easily possessed long ago.
"Though I didn't step into a trap with a hidden primordial spirit, the bead's restriction is too peculiar. The repelling force against divine sense is absurdly strong. Even as a Grandmaster of Artifact Dao, having tried countless methods, I can only remain helpless."
Chen Sheng sighed lightly, his voice carrying a hint of helplessness as he recalled the myriad methods tried over the past decade.
With the power of the Earth Veins, the power of the Five Elements, borrowing the power of the Void... even utilizing the Ancient Refining Technique handed down by the Three Elements Dao Sect.
But the restriction of the Stone Bead still did not budge at all, as if it had merged with the Stone Bead itself, with no opening to break it.
After pondering for a moment, Chen Sheng sighed helplessly, deciding to use the last silly method—Blood Sacrifice for the Spiritual Treasure!
This method is ancient and clumsy, consumes a lot, and the refining efficiency is extremely low, with only one advantage, using Essence Blood as the guide, even a Tier Five Dao Artifact can establish a faint traction.
He slowly raised his right hand, gathering a thread of pure Lifebound Essence Blood at his fingertips.
Only to see three drops of crimson Essence Blood floating out from his fingertips, like three translucent rubies, slowly rotating in the air, exuding a faint fragrance, mixed with the unique life essence of a Nascent Soul Cultivator.
Chen Sheng rapidly formed the seals of the Blood Sacrifice Technique with his hands, reciting ancient and obscure spells, which echoed in the Small Realm, drawing the mana around him toward the Essence Blood.
As the spell progressed, the three drops of Essence Blood suddenly dispersed, transforming into countless tiny blood mists, like red threads, slowly seeping toward the Stone Bead's surface.
At first, as soon as the blood mist touched the Stone Bead, it was blocked by an invisible force, instantly dissipating like water droplets falling on a rock.
But as Chen Sheng continued to cast the spell, more mana poured into the blood mist, and those red threads seemed to gain life, persistently drilling into the crevices of the Stone Bead's patterns.
About an incense stick's time later, finally, a wisp of extremely fine blood mist successfully seeped into one of the Stone Bead's surface patterns.
The Stone Bead trembled slightly, its surface emitting a faint red glow, which, although fleeting, was sharply captured by Chen Sheng.
"Finally, it works somewhat! If even the Blood Sacrifice had no effect, I really have no other methods."
With a thought in his mind, he dared not pause his hand movements, still steadily urging the spell to guide more blood mist into the Stone Bead.
He was well aware that the Blood Sacrifice Technique was originally a clumsy method of refining artifacts.
Even refining an ordinary Magical Artifact with this method might take years, but the Stone Bead's restriction is extraordinary; even a preliminary refining might take centuries.
Chen Sheng withdrew his thoughts, his gaze falling on the Stone Bead in his palm, a decision already made in his heart:
"First spend a hundred years or so, using this Blood Sacrifice Technique to slowly grind away, initially refine this bead, and once a weak connection is established with the Stone Bead, then figure out how to refine the restriction within."
Once his voice fell, he closed his eyes again, the mana and blood mist around him intertwining to form a faint red light shield, enveloping both him and the Stone Bead.
...
Another three months.
Chen Sheng simply set up a hidden dwelling within the Small Realm, leaving enough resources to cultivate to the Golden Core level.
Then, using the Teleportation Array within the Small Realm, he was instantly sent to Yue Country.
In the days that followed, Chen Sheng, with the aid of the long-distance Teleportation Arrays in each Immortal City within Yue Country, Yuan Country, and Wu Country, gradually approached the direction of the Great Wilderness.
During these three months, Chen Sheng witnessed the customs and conditions recorded in the classics of the Dao Sect.
In the Water Country, cultivators and mortals shared covered boats, paddling through the water surface, startling fish and shrimp imbued with Spiritual Qi.
Cultivators from the prairie tribes rode Spirit Rhinoceros Beasts, performing Totem Secret Skills to worship the heavens and earth; under the glow of evening clouds, herds of cattle and sheep migrated following rune trajectories, a magnificent scene.
Entering the territory of Wu Country, he further witnessed cultivators from coastal Immortal Cities maneuvering Sea Vessels, battling Demon Beasts amidst the waves, while Sea Witch Scale Armor dried on the deck.
...
Finally, at the end of three months, Chen Sheng appeared in the Teleportation Array of Celestial Wind City.
Celestial Wind City is located at the edge of Wu Country, less than ten thousand miles from the Great Wilderness, with the Teleportation Array built in the northern Array Pavilion of the city.
The Teleportation Array, entirely constructed from dark-colored jade, had residual light blue spirit light at the array hub, with the unique cool aura of spatial fluctuations permeating the air.
As Chen Sheng stepped out from the array, the Nascent Soul pressure from his body, yet to be fully retracted, quietly spread, though intentionally suppressed, it still made the few Golden Core Cultivators guarding outside the array tense up.
These Golden Core Cultivators wore the blue uniforms of the Celestial Wind City's Array Pavilion, with tokens engraved with "Array" at their waists, originally responsible for verifying the identities of the teleporting cultivators.
Seeing Chen Sheng step out, they quickly stepped forward, cupped their hands, and bowed respectfully, their voices soft:
"Greetings, senior! We do not know if senior has any need for our assistance upon visiting Celestial Wind City this time?"
Chen Sheng's gaze swept over the surroundings of the Array Pavilion, seeing the bustling streets outside, he gently nodded, saying to the Golden Core Cultivators:
"No need for formalities, I am merely passing through this place, and will proceed to the Great Wilderness shortly."