Chapter 594 - 534: The Best of Both Worlds

Chapter 594: Chapter 534: The Best of Both Worlds

After this refining, in a sense, this mass of Profound Gold Spiritual Material Essence was the prototype of a man-made Sword Pill.

And the final refining process, based on the concept he had devised after much deliberation, was completely different from the methods used for ordinary Magical Treasures.

A Sword Intent Supreme Treasure needed no Array Prohibition Runes, nor did it require any further man-made refining.

What it needed was for this "man-made Sword Pill prototype" to become even more perfectly natural.

Chu Mu raised his right hand. As if guided by an unseen force, the surging, blindingly golden liquid felt like an extension of his arm, completely under his control.

With a mere thought, the brilliant golden light swirled around him, its form twisting and transforming until it solidified into a Long Saber suspended before him.

Three feet long with a slight curve, the blade’s body was a pale gold, its edge as chilling and stark as moonlight.

Aside from that, there was nothing special about it.

It was unremarkable, not much different from a common, iron-cast saber.

After a brief inspection, Chu Mu flicked his sleeve. The blade softened, instantly reverting to its liquid metal state. It hovered above his palm for a moment, then with a flicker of his thoughts, the golden liquid sank into the space between his eyebrows, disappearing into his head.

Now, as this "Sword Pill prototype" sank into his Sea of Consciousness, the Divine Soul Blade within was already flecked with mottled gold.

In his perception, Chu Mu could clearly feel that the Sword Pill prototype he had refined had already interwoven and fused with this Divine Soul Blade, which existed on the boundary between the real and the illusory.

At this moment, his entire Sea of Consciousness was like a Pill Furnace.

The crisscrossing sharpness of the Sword Intent was like the heavy Celestial Thunder that had rained down from the heavens when he underwent Core Formation back then.

And this mass of Profound Gold Essence, already a Sword Pill prototype, was equivalent to... a Golden Core prototype.

After carefully sensing it for a long time, Chu Mu slowly opened his eyes. He pondered for a moment, his gaze shifting until it finally settled on a Spirit Paper not far in front of him.

The final draft for this Sword Intent Supreme Treasure.

According to his calculations, this process of nurturing and coagulation would require eighty-one days before the Sword Intent Supreme Treasure could fully solidify from its formless liquid state into a proper blade.

And this was just a new beginning.

Just like nurturing a Lifebound Treasure, this blade could continue to be nurtured within his Sea of Consciousness, using its ability to change size at will. With his Sea of Consciousness acting as a Pill Furnace, the blade would be subtly tempered day and night, growing ever purer and more perfectly attuned to his Sword Intent.

In a sense, this treasure could be considered both a Lifebound Treasure and a man-made "Sword Pill" of a True Cultivator of Sword Intent!

But strictly speaking, this treasure was also quite different from both.

One could say it was an exceptionally special treasure, created by taking the best qualities and the very essence of both.

Whether there had been a precedent for this in the Cultivation Immortal Realm, Chu Mu did not know. But without a doubt, all of this originated from his own conception, with no similar cases for him to reference.

Therefore, this treasure, unlike his Nine Dragon Prison Suppression Tower or the Lifebound Treasures of other Cultivators, did not have a clear and visible path for growth.

Both now and in the future, this special Sword Intent Supreme Treasure would require him to be the one to conceptualize, theorize, and verify its development.

’Longevity Sect... perhaps I should pay it a visit...’

Chu Mu muttered to himself, lost in thought.

The existence of Spiritual Radiance destined him to be different from every other Cultivator.

Take Magical Treasures and Artifacts, for instance. If an ordinary Cultivator wanted a Puppet or a Magical Treasure, they would first have to find a suitable Artifact Formula. Then, they would need to search for and gather the Spiritual Materials required for the refining. Finally, they would have to find a reliable Artifact Refiner to craft it.

If they had reliable connections, they could commission an Artifact Refiner to create a custom item. Then, based on the refiner’s requirements, they would gather the necessary Spiritual Materials for the job.

His own situation was a perfect example. The reason his title of ’Pill and Artifact Dual Proficiency’ was so renowned, and his status so revered, was that everyone was willing to show him some respect.

This was the fundamental reason.

Be it Elixirs or Artifacts, as long as the price was right, he could create them, even if they were custom-made.

As for himself, he had long stopped simply copying from a template, whether in Artifact Refining or Alchemy. Even the Elixirs Wangcai consumed were custom-made by him, perfectly tailored to its bloodline and current level of Cultivation.

And for himself? Everything was perfectly tailored to his own needs.

It was precisely because of this that he, with what could only be described as poor Spirit Root Talent, had been able to advance step by step to where he was today.

After all, in the Cultivation Immortal Realm, every Elixir, every Artifact Formula, and even every Skill and Magic was inevitably created or improved upon by those who came before.

Naturally, it would be most compatible with its creator.

Those who came after, using or learning it, could rarely achieve a one hundred percent perfect effect.

It was true for Elixirs, for Magical Artifacts and Magical Treasures, and also for Skills and Magic.

But with the heaven-defying power of Spiritual Radiance, he could essentially distill the essence and discard the impurities in every single aspect.

From initial study to deep research, then to imitation and emulation, and finally to refinement after refinement after refinement—he continued until it was completely his own, achieving the pinnacle of perfection.

And this, clearly, was what set him completely apart from any other Cultivator.

In the Cultivation Immortal Realm, no Cultivator—not even a peerless genius—could possibly focus on so many seemingly irrelevant fields.

First, it was unnecessary. Take the Sword Dao Nascent Soul, Xu Changqing, for example; aside from his own Sword Dao, he didn’t cultivate any other disciplines.

Second, it was highly unlikely for anyone to have the talent, let alone the time, energy, and resources to do so.

But he, Chu Mu, with Spiritual Radiance at his disposal, was clearly an exception.

His path of Immortal Dao Cultivation could perhaps be summarized in a single phrase.

’Knowledge is power.’

His Spirit Root Talent was poor, so he would devise and research Elixirs perfectly suited to his own Cultivation. He would even delve into the mysteries of the Spirit Root itself, attempting to find a heaven-defying method to alter his own fate.

He needed sufficient Protective Means, so he would tailor-make his own Magical Treasures and Artifacts. He would even study Bloodline Divine Techniques, attempting to make all magics his own.

He lacked resources, so knowledge became his path to wealth. A single title, ’Master Chu,’ brought a torrential flood of riches his way!

And all of this required not just a body of knowledge in a single field, but an incredibly vast and comprehensive system of knowledge.

The deeper and vaster the foundation of knowledge he accumulated, the smoother and more stable his Immortal Dao Cultivation would undoubtedly become.

Right now, he didn’t lack knowledge systems for specific skills. What he lacked was a more comprehensive, broader awareness.

And that was a shortcoming he clearly couldn’t remedy on his own.

After all, what he needed was a convergence of knowledge as vast as a sea of mist—the kind found in places like the Longevity Sect’s Scripture Pavilion, or the Immortal Dao Sect’s Inheritance Land he had once visited.

’Once this trip to the ruins is over...’

Chu Mu’s gaze flickered, and the glow of his Spiritual Radiance slowly faded. With a sweep of his sleeve, the drafts piled in the room rolled up, stacking themselves neatly to float before him. A moment later, with a thought, the stack of papers vanished into his Storage Space.

Immediately, a projection appeared, flickering with the recorded images from the Cyan Bird Puppet’s surveillance of the area. After a quick review, the projection dissipated, and the flashing crimson light within the Secluded Meditation Chamber finally dimmed.

Only the faint, white glow of the Fluorescent Stones now lit the Secluded Meditation Chamber, casting their light on Chu Mu, who had once again sat down cross-legged to resume his Cultivation.

CRACK... CRACK... CRACK...

Following a few crisp, dull cracks from a corner of the room, several Upper Grade Fire Attribute Spirit Stones shattered in succession under the influence of an Array Prohibition. A dense and pure Fire Attribute Spiritual Energy instantly erupted, surging throughout the chamber.

His Divine Sense circulated, gathering the Fire Attribute Spiritual Energy. His cyan Magic Robe stirred as the Spiritual Qi converged. He swallowed an Elixir, and a faint fluctuation of Magical Power began to emanate from him.

In the gloom of the seabed, day was indistinguishable from night. The Flying Boat remained hidden and motionless in a void, making it even more difficult to perceive the passage of time.

Spring passed into autumn, and the years slipped by, one after another, flowing away in silence in the deep gloom of the seabed...

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