Chapter 853 - 841: Eighth Stage

Time flies.

This day, by White Bird Lake.

Chen Mu looked at the gray stone gate in front of him.

Mechanical Technique: 113/10000/Eighth Rank;

"It's done."

The Mechanical Technique was already close to leveling up, and with focused cultivation, it reached a new stage in less than half a month.

Chen Mu used inner vision of the Dao Base Jade Seed to observe the True Meaning Talisman of the Mechanical Technique.

It was a dark greenish-black stone, covered with numerous holes, resembling some kind of nest.

The holes were filled with dark green mist, with some fluorescent lights dancing within.

Each fluorescent light corresponded to one Qianji Talisman Seed.

Originally there were only twelve, now there were seventy-two.

"Seventy-two talisman seeds, meaning I can control seventy-two Vermilion Feather Swords simultaneously."

"With the Giant Spirit Divine at the core, using the talisman seeds as nodes, the Truth Listening Divine Power covers White Bird City and its surroundings without any blind spots."

"As soon as that Blood-colored Black Wind Demon shows its face, I will immediately be aware, and no one can sneak up on me unnoticed."

Chen Mu smiled broadly.

"After all these years, the Thousand Mountains Sutra is still working, thanks to the Wushan Seven Siblings."

"If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have obtained these mysterious secret techniques," he said with admiration.

Chen Mu's consciousness sank into the Five Ghosts Bag, eyeing the seven waist-high gourds in the corner.

The Qi Forbidden Hundred Miles activated, knocking on each gourd, but there was no reaction at all.

"Could they be dead?"

Inside the Dao Base Jade Seed, the Yellow Springs Gourd rotated, spitting out seven strands of Innate Primordial Qi.

Chen Mu sent the Primordial Qi into the Five Ghosts Bag, approaching the seven gourds.

Like parched earth meeting a gentle spring rain, the seven strands of Primordial Qi silently merged into the gourds.

After a good while, the seven gourds awoke as if from slumber, emitting faint humming vibrations.

"As long as they're not dead," Chen Mu sighed in relief.

Initially, when he was trapped in the Tianhe Law Realm, these people were also buried under the law realm by the Lock Dragon Courtyard as pulse points for the City God Dojo.

When he escaped, he took the opportunity to mess with the Lock Dragon Courtyard, using the Seven Spirits Dao Military Skill to roll them away together.

Since then, these people have been transformed into seven black gourds by the Daoist Soldier Skill.

These gourds can absorb Innate Primordial Qi, nourishing the life within, but Chen Mu's supply of Primordial Qi was always lacking.

First busy building the Dao Foundation, then with refining the Yellow Springs Gourd, he never attended to these people.

Over a decade passed, and the seven gourds showed no signs of life.

"Now that the Dao Foundation is established and the Spiritual Treasure is refined, there's no need for Primordial Qi, so I can take time to care for these seven gourds."

"With my current Dao, I don't expect the Seven Spirits Dao Soldiers to be of any use."

"After all we've been through, it's enough if they don't die."

Glancing at the seven gourds, confirming their life signs were stable, Chen Mu withdrew his consciousness from the Five Ghosts Bag. He also retrieved the long-unused Sword Box Gourd and a large pile of Five Metals Essence.

The Mechanical Talisman Seeds increased to seventy-two, but there were only twelve Vermilion Feather Swords; he planned to make up for the lack.

...

In front of the thatched hut.

Chen Mu infused mana into the Gourd Sword Box, causing the Red Gourd to spin rapidly, beginning the absorption of the Five Metals Essence.

Once enough was absorbed, it buzzed and trembled, starting the automatic refining.

Chen Mu had no shortage of Five Metals Essence, as when the Tangshan Institute in Yizhou was forced to relocate, he was allowed to select items from the entire storeroom.

At the time, he only took a little Gold Essence, but it was enough to complete seventy-two magical swords.

In just an afternoon, Chen Mu crafted a set of twelve Vermilion Feather Swords.

Subsequently, he went all out, and in less than three days, a total of seventy-two Vermilion Feather Swords, both new and old, were successfully deployed throughout White Bird City.

In front of the thatched hut, the Giant Spirit Divine stood on one side, holding the Heartless Bell.

Chen Mu placed his hand on the Giant Spirit Divine's shoulder, and the scenes from all corners of White Bird City immediately appeared vividly in his mind.

Even the sight of an ant carrying a Moon Beet Pearl fragment at the corner of Fan Building's entrance was clear to him.

"Blood-colored Black Wind Demon attacking face-to-face?"

"That's no longer possible!"

Chen Mu was full of confidence.

...

Unfortunately, this good mood only lasted a few days.

One morning, after waking up, Chen Mu habitually placed his hand on the Giant Spirit Divine's shoulder to review the surveillance records of the previous night.

Before he could look carefully, he accidentally noticed five new grape-sized gray stones around the White Bird Divine Soldier.

"Again?"

"I haven't recited scriptures from any other cities recently."

"Why are there more Divine Soldier Fragments?" Chen Mu couldn't help but stare.

"The Flame Immortal Scripture?"

"Which city became the unlucky one again?"

Without bothering to investigate, Chen Mu immediately activated the Nine Cups Calculation Scripture to compute.

He was afraid someone might track him down through these fragments of the divine weapon.

Repeated calculations were performed eighteen times, and the results all indicated no danger.

"Well, well... my ass it's well!"

"Last time there was no danger too, yet wasn't I still ambushed by the blood-colored Black Wind Demon?"

"Looks like I can't stay here, and I've only settled down for two months."

"All because of these fragments of the divine weapon!" Chen Mu's face was full of disdain.

At first, he was quite proud of these fragments of divine weapon; after all, they were freebies.

Besides, they could enhance the power of the White Bird Divine Soldier, boost divine power refining efficiency, and simultaneously improve the proficiency of the Seven Emotions Curse.

But now, he found them lacking in every way.

Because the Seven Emotions Curse was sufficient, not improving it temporarily wasn't an issue.

White Bird City was only so big, with only so many people, the total amount of the desires and seven emotions had an upper limit; enhancing the White Bird Divine Soldier, the divine power wouldn't increase.

Furthermore, Chen Mu was not a native of Mist Ridge; his Dragon Taming Divine Power was an Yin Divine Dharma Form cultivated from a Yin Spirit Divine Fetus, and was different from the native powers here. No matter how strong the divine weapon, it couldn't enhance his divine skills.

Even if it could enhance, Chen Mu dared not use it.

Weapons of the gods would harm the master's lifespan.

As a Qi Cultivator chasing longevity, he would not voluntarily reduce his lifespan.

"Knowing it's useless but still reluctant to abandon, it's a real chicken rib."

…

"Will there be a new rift appearing here?"

In Nether Demon Heaven, Lan Zhang stood before a black curtain wall, curiously observing.

He really couldn't see any difference.

"It will show up after a while; you aren't of the Ghost Shadow Clan, so it's natural you can't see it." No-Eyed Child explained: "This curtain wall is the external manifestation of Shadow Cave Heaven, existing between reality and illusion."

"It changes constantly, yet appears constant."

"To others, it seems no different, but being born of Cloud Mirage Yama, with the help of Shadow Pupil allows me to discover it ahead of time."

"No wonder you managed to find the rift in Grotto Heaven multiple times." Lan Zhang nodded.

"Stop babbling, let's get to work." No-Eyed Child urged.

Lan Zhang, upon hearing this, reached into the void and pulled out a blood-red sword.

The sword seemed ordinary; No-Eyed Child's pupils trembled, and he immediately distanced himself from the sword.

Lan Zhang glanced at it, chuckling softly. Without further hesitation, he stabbed towards the black curtain wall.

Clang!

Sparks flew, and the black wall rippled like a curtain disturbed by wind.

A silver thread, long and thin as a strand of hair, slowly emerged on the black curtain wall.

"It really is here." Lan Zhang slightly raised his eyebrows.

"I told you, this is the weak point of the Grotto Heaven." No-Eyed Child urged excitedly.

"Quick, give it two more strikes." No-Eyed Child urged enthusiastically.

Immediately, Lan Zhang raised his sword and struck at the silver gap.

Clang!

An invisible force spread out fiercely from the impact site. The blood sea below was instantly stirred into monstrous waves by this force.

The silver gap, originally just as long as a finger, began to spread and expand around, resembling thunder patterns.

No-Eyed Child's countless eyes were suddenly filled with joy.

Lan Zhang decisively struck another slash.

But before the blade could hit, the silver thread that appeared first at the center suddenly broke free from its original position and leaped sideways.

As it moved away, it grew shorter, and within a few breaths, it disappeared completely.

The surrounding small cracks spread like thunder pattern also flickered like burning yellow paper and quickly dimmed.

"These cracks can really run, can't they?" Lan Zhang squinted his eyes involuntarily.

"Lan Zhang, what the hell are you doing, why are you so slow!"

"The weak point we finally found just ran off, damn it!" No-Eyed Child yelled in frustration.

Hmm?

The blood-red sword in his hand made a slight turn; Lan Zhang's crystalline red eyes moved, glancing at No-Eyed Child.

"I mean, the monk may escape, but the temple won't."

"A momentary setback is no big deal."

"No need to be furious. I can always find the next weak point." No-Eyed Child comforted in a gentle voice.

Tsk, you're quite perceptive indeed.

Lan Zhang chuckled lightly, turning back to where the crack disappeared.

"If it can run, the crack likely didn't appear naturally."

"Then who created this crack? How intriguing."