Chapter 855 - 843: Refining

The next morning.

White Bird City, top floor of Fan Lou Yihong Pavilion.

Xu Gui, who was sound asleep, was woken by the noise. He got up impatiently, opened the door, and walked out,

only to be stopped by several familiar people before he could figure out what was going on. They bombarded him with questions, leaving Xu Gui's head buzzing painfully.

Before he understood what was happening, he was ushered to the corridor window by a few people. Raising his eyes, he saw the enshrouding mist over White Bird City.

"Is this... the Mist of Confusion?!" Xu Gui was startled.

"Could something have happened to the City Lord?!" a skinny old man beside him asked in panic.

The others wore similar anxious expressions, recalling an incident from several years ago.

Back then, White Bird City was also suddenly surrounded by the Mist of Confusion, followed by an attack by numerous Black Wind Demons.

Everyone had to flee in all directions, and soon after, White Bird City welcomed a new City Lord.

"Even if you, old coot, get turned into a mummified corpse by a female ghost, the City Lord won't be in trouble!" Xu Gui rolled his eyes, overcoming his initial panic and quickly regaining his composure.

It must be that City Lord causing some trouble again!

In the past year, after repeatedly dragging White Bird City around, now he suddenly withdraws the Divine Soldier Barrier and lets the Mist of Confusion into the city.

Isn't this the same routine as scaring people with the Black Wind Demons before, just to create panic? Nothing serious.

Xu Gui looked calmly.

He glanced up at the Soul Nourishing Lamp floating steadily in mid-air, increasingly convinced that it was City Lord Chen intentionally causing trouble.

Just as he was thinking this, a black shadow leisurely swam through the clouds and mist.

Although obscured by the Mist of Confusion, with only glimpses visible, Xu Gui immediately recognized it as a gigantic black dragon.

"Isn't that the black dragon kept by the City Lord?" Many in the crowd also recognized the shadow.

"The big black dragon is out for a stroll, so it seems the City Lord is truly fine."

"Let's go back to sleep."

"We worried for nothing..."

The crowd, who had been gathered tensely together, exchanged a few words and, yawning, each returned to their rooms.

Xu Gui glanced around and couldn't help but smirk.

If you want to scare people, why let the black dragon out? It just got exposed—what a blunder.

Forget it, let it be, as long as they don't bring out that big black cat to mess with me.

Xu Gui yawned and, swaying, returned to his room to catch up on sleep.

...

Beside White Bird Lake.

Inside Thousand Lantern City, the Shadow Pupil Big Eye still lacked any brilliance. The eyelids, formed by dark shadows, half-dropped as if still drowsy.

Countless desires and emotions, invisible to ordinary people, poured from the pupil of the eye and were devoured by the White Bird Divine Soldier standing at the center of Thousand Lantern City.

"Originally, I thought I would need the Yin Divine Dharma Form as a vessel to transport the emotional desires back and forth, but it turns out I can send them directly through the Big Eye."

"Good!"

Chen Mu's face was full of smiles.

After a moment's thought, he understood what was going on.

Thousand Lantern City exists on the Cloud Mirage Heavenly Demon Body and is inseparably tied to the Yin Spirit Divine Fetus.

The Yin Divine Dharma Form is the external manifestation of the Yin Spirit Divine Fetus, thus equally inseparable from Thousand Lantern City.

The Yin Divine Dharma Form, transforming into a Candle Dragon to absorb desires and emotions, is equivalent to Thousand Lantern City absorbing them.

Therefore, just by attaching the Seven Emotions Curse to the Yin Divine Dharma Form and letting it roam, a continuous stream of desires and emotions can directly enter Thousand Lantern City.

As he pondered, a force of Divine Power far surpassing usual amounts surged from the White Bird Divine Soldier.

Chen Mu raised an eyebrow.

"So, because I am not consuming Divine Power to maintain the Divine Soldier Barrier, the Divine Power provided by the White Bird Divine Soldier increases?"

"Haha, I didn't expect this unexpected surprise!"

...

More than a month later.

White Bird City.

Clouds formed by the Mist of Confusion enveloped the sky, and a massive black dragon leisurely traversed through the mist.

The residents of White Bird City had become accustomed to the sight, paying it no mind.

In a perspective unseen by the public, countless desires and emotions soared skyward, devoured by the black dragon.

By White Bird Lake, in front of a thatched hut.

Chen Mu immersed his consciousness into Thousand Lantern City, as usual, absorbing Divine Power, using Netherworld Qi and Taiyin Qi to temper his Heavenly Demon Body.

When all of the stored Divine Power was depleted, an hour had already passed.

Chen Mu was about to withdraw his consciousness to end today's cultivation when he casually glanced at the Divine Soldier within Thousand Lantern City, suddenly pausing.

"Why does it feel like the White Bird Divine Soldier has shrunk slightly?"

His heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly observed carefully.

After a moment, Chen Mu frowned.

"It has indeed become smaller by a bit!"

His spirit delved into the Shadow Pupil Big Eye, beginning to carefully search for the reason.

"Thousand Lantern City... is actually refining the Divine Soldier?!"

Chen Mu felt a chill run down his spine.

"Don't do that! Refining the Divine Soldier can shorten one's lifespan!"

The short life of Mist Ridge's City Lord is no secret.

Chen Mu immediately wanted to remove the Divine Soldier.

Divine Soldiers are indeed remarkable, but ultimately external objects. If necessary, he could abandon it, but he wouldn't risk his life.

However, after a couple of attempts, he found that the Divine Soldier, hovering within Thousand Lantern City, seemed as if nailed into the entire Grotto Heaven, becoming an inseparable part of Thousand Lantern City, immovable.

"Troublesome!" Chen Mu wore a grim expression.

Although forcibly removing the Divine Soldier wasn't impossible,

he could use the Five Ghosts Moving Mountain to swallow the Divine Soldier and take it out of Thousand Lantern City, or use the Yin Yang Qi and Netherworld Qi to directly destroy the Divine Soldier.

Yet Chen Mu had a niggling feeling that if he truly did so, the cost would be terribly high, akin to severing one's own limbs!

"This is troublesome." Chen Mu frowned even more deeply.

The ordeal also shed more light on the current situation.

"Rather than say it's refining the Divine Soldier, it seems more like Thousand Lantern City is devouring the Divine Soldier."

Chen Mu didn't know how other City Lords refined their Divine Soldiers, but theirs likely remained complete.

Thousand Lantern City's refining seemed like absorbing and utilizing food.

The part of the Divine Soldier that disappeared has already become nourishment for Thousand Lantern City, disappearing completely.

"After all, it's different from the Mist Ridge City Lord; since it's absorbed and digested, it's likely not shortening my life... right?"

Chen Mu couldn't help but grin and sigh.

Since it's already been consumed, what other choice does he have?

"Just take it one step at a time."

As for why Thousand Lantern City would inexplicably devour the Divine Soldier...

"It's most likely related to the Heavenly Demon Body," Chen Mu speculated secretly.

The Heavenly Demon Body he accidentally cultivated is a Cloud Mirage.

The Cloud Mirage Heavenly Demon Body resembles an Earthly Netherworld Yin Spirit. The foundation is a Ghost, intermingled with Heavenly Demon bloodline, capable of creating a Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed.

It could even be said that a Cloud Mirage is a special kind of Yin Spirit with a Heavenly Demon bloodline trait.

According to his previous speculation, the Mist Ridge Divine Soldier is related to the Demon Path, perhaps even a kind of Heavenly Demon Root Device.

Thousand Lantern City takes root in the Cloud Mirage Heavenly Demon, so placing the Divine Soldier within it would inevitably trigger special reactions.

Just that as it is...

"Just don't let it affect the Divine Soldier's ability to refine Divine Power."

...

Another half a month passed. Some changes occurred.

The good news was that the refining process did not damage his lifespan.

The bad news was that the Divine Soldier had further shrunk, and its capability to refine Divine Power was impaired, efficiency even halved.

As a result, the amount of Divine Power he gained daily was also halved.

Meanwhile, Chen Mu gained a new Great Power Divine Ability.

"Something so common in the City Defense Camp, what do I need this for?"

Chen Mu felt frustrated.

"Give me back the ability to refine Divine Power."